Rumor: White iPod touch coming, but few other changes expected

By Trevor Mogg September 20, 2011

George Harrison was known as The Quiet One of the Beatles. The softly spoken lead guitarist of the Fab Four didn’t hanker for the limelight and was more than happy for John and Paul to take center stage while Ringo banged away on his bongos.

And so the same can be said of the iPod touch. Over time it has become The Quiet One of Apple’s product range, prepared to take a back seat while the iPhone receives all the attention. The multimedia device, which launched in 2007, usually gets a refresh each September, though it barely raises an eyebrow. On the other hand, people continue to go ga-ga at the slightest whiff of a rumor regarding the iPhone.

Well, fans of the iPod touch may be pleased to know that a rumor about the device emerged on Tuesday. A rumor all of its own. Trouble is, it’s not that exciting. That’s just typical of The Quiet One.

According to MacRumors, the iPod touch will be receiving only “a very minor change” to its design, likely to be announced at the not-yet-confirmed-but-likely-to-happen-next-month Apple press conference. The same press conference is also expected to see the launch, to great fanfare no doubt, of the next-generation iPhone.

Apparently, the most noticeable thing about the next-generation iPod touch will be a change in its color scheme. While the black model will more than likely stay in production, the Cupertino company is also rumored to be introducing a white version.

In addition, an oleophobic coating for the display is expected, as well as a revised ambient light sensor. And that’s about it for the iPod touch. No improved camera sensor. No 3G capability. No bigger screen.

If the rumors are true, it’s an update that will ensure that The Quiet One will continue to live on in the shadows. Now, what’s the latest news on the iPhone 5?

[Image courtesy of iPatch iPods, showing white iPod touch screen placed on a black fourth-generation iPod touch. It’s thought that the actual model will have a white home button.]

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Apple

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Mobile

Everything announced at Apple’s September 2022 event: iPhone 14, Watch Ultra, AirPods Pro 2

Photo of Apple Park during the Far Out event.

Apple's September 2022 "Far Out" event is over, and it was packed full of announcements. The 90-minute show saw updates to a wide range of Apple products, including iPhones and the Apple Watch, as well as a few software features that could make using your Apple products more seamless than ever. Here's everything Apple announced during its September 2022 event.

There were some announcements missing, though, so make sure to pull up our roundup of everything Apple didn't announce, as well.
Apple Watch Series 8

Mobile

Touch ID might soon come to an Apple device you least expect

apple watch touch id fingerprint sensor patent smartwatch ipad

If you’ve ever wished for some sort of biometric authentication system on the Apple Watch, you’re not alone. Apple engineers, too, are imagining ways to put the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the Apple Watch. At least according to a patent application, that is.

Titled “Electronic device having sealed button biometric sensing system,” the patent application filed by Apple describes methods of fitting a fingerprint sensor inside a smartwatch. Aside from discussing the technical aspects and various ways it can come to life, the application describes some of the use case scenarios, as well.

Mobile

How did the iPod Touch hang on for this long?

iPod Touch

Like the BlackBerry, I thought that the iPod Touch died over a decade ago. The iPhone had cast such a large shadow over its little cousin after its introduction in 2007 that it might have killed it because it didn't want to share the spotlight with a device that didn't have the ability to make phone calls. My older brother was the last person I saw using the iPod Touch. When we were teenagers, he was envious of me carrying the iPod Classic, and always begged me to let him borrow it for whatever reason he may have had. So to avoid pissing me off even further, he got the iPod Touch, which was not only better than the click wheel iPod I had, but it was a cheaper option than the iPhone my parents (mostly my stepfather) couldn't bring themselves to trust him with in high school because he had lost other phones whether it was his fault or not. I can't remember if he bought the iPod Touch himself or got it as a Christmas present, but he lost it one day while visiting a hotel with my stepdad.

Today, my brother is happy with his iPhone 11, his second mobile Apple device after the iPhone 7. There are times when I have wondered if he ever missed holding the first touchscreen device he ever had -- especially on Tuesday, when Apple announced it had discontinued the iPod Touch, effectively ending the iPod line. You can still get your hands on the iPod Touch while supplies last, though it might get sold out by the time this article gets published.