Apple has already announced a few product refreshes this week, but it might not be done just yet. The iPod touch may be the next device to get a hardware update, and according to MacRumors, the seventh-generation model may be announced tomorrow via a press release, as Apple did with the low-profile announcements of the new iPad Air, iPad mini, and today’s iMac.
A new iPod touch hitting soon seems plausible, as it has been name-dropped by Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with a good record for predicting Apple launches. MacRumors also notes that developer Steve Troughton-Smith discovered references to what could be a refreshed iPod touch in iOS 12.2 code.
Aside from that, an iPod touch upgrade makes sense because it’s among the oldest devices that Apple still features on its store. It was last updated in 2015, and it’s beyond due for an upgrade since it is powered by the aging A8 processor that’s also found in the iPhone 6.
As far as what could change, it’s safe to expect a significant boost to the iPod touch’s processing power. But otherwise, it’s unclear if Apple will stick with the thick-bezeled design to draw a clear line between its iPhones and the last remaining iPod, or welcome it to the notch party. None of this week’s updates have featured major redesigns, however, so it seems questionable that the iPod would break that trend. Would a potential design change lead to the end of the headphone jack? On an iPod? It seems sacrosanct, but Apple’s rumored AirPods 2 are expected to launch in the first half of 2019. Who knows? Maybe it’ll be this week, seeing as many updates have already been announced.