Apple's new iPod touch is not for converts; it's for unbelievers

It's been almost four years since Apple updated its iPod touch, which is close to an eternity in the ever-changing world of technology updates. In all respects, this is a poor update. The new iPod touch has hardly changed compared to the 2015 model, which in itself was only a minor update compared to the 2012 version.

The only major change made by Apple was to launch a raid into the trash of parts of a newer A10 processor, identical to that of the iPhone 7, the oldest, the cheapest and the least powerful devices currently marketed by the company. This is the least that Apple can do with the chips it currently makes, which says a lot about the seventh generation iPod touch: it's a device rooted in the past of Apple, not in its future.

Even compared to the original model of 2012, Apple has only made three major changes to the iPod touch over the last seven years: the removal of the strap and the addition of one slightly better camera added in 2015, and processor bumps (for an iPhone 6 A8 in 2015, and now the iPhone 7 class A10). He even has a headphone jack!

None of this is bad in itself: iPod touch hardware is excellent from a construction point of view. It is thinner and lighter than any modern iPhone, with the same polish and quality as Apple device users. And while the huge camera bodies and poor cameras give it a dated look, the processor is still quite eye-catching (especially with the iOS 12 speed improvements) so it's perfectly resistant to everyday use. Honestly, it is an honor for Apple that this old hardware still works as well as on the current software (and the next update of iOS 13 by the end of the year should further improve performance).

This new chip also allows some new features for the iPod touch, namely the FaceTime group and augmented reality. They both work as expected. The RA, in particular, works surprisingly well, given the heaviness of the tax. Although the quality of the video stream is no longer in compliance with 2019 standards.

The use of iPod touch in 2019 is a reminder of how much Apple's mobile ecosystem has changed. Although the latest software is still in use, the hardware has been stuck in amber for over seven years. Seven years ago, displaying a 4-inch screen on an iOS device was a big news. The fifth generation has therefore joined the iPhone 5 by getting the new size at the same time. Now, it is extremely difficult to hit them, which puzzles me as to how one of us has survived all these years.

Similarly, amenities such as biometric security or navigation gestures are extremely boring. Typing a code whenever I wanted to unlock the iPod touch was getting old very quickly and connecting to services was a chore. Although I like the Home button, the iPhone X's slip gestures are simply faster and easier than lowering my thumb to a physical button every time.

It's easy to imagine that Apple could have done here what it did in 2012 when the original version of this design was released. It was a different era at the time, and the iPod touch was a flagship device whose hardware was about the height of the iPhone 5 at the forefront of technology. In an alternative scenario, the 2019 iPod touch is equipped with a giant LCD screen without bezel. like the iPhone XR, the facial identity and the cameras and processors of the newer Apple iPhone.

But now it's a different market: Apple is struggling to sell the hardware of its latest iPhones, which have been pushed to their highest price. Adding a premium iPod touch to a mix that could further cannibalize iPhone sales at a time when Apple is trying to avoid that as much as possible makes no sense.

Decisively, though the more modest iPhone 7 processor upgrade is dull, it means that Apple will still be able to support the iPod touch for years to come. It's no coincidence that Apple has updated the iPod touch with a better processor a few days before it drops the iPhone 6 – whose processor is shared with the iPod touch 2015 – from the list iOS 13 support presented at WWDC 2019.

The updated iPod touch is not a flagship device – by design. It's one of Apple's most popular entry-level devices, the kind of stuff you could offer to a child who is not old enough to have a phone. The approach of the coinbasket and unchanged design mean that Apple can manufacture it cheaply with established assembly lines. If you add up both, you get the perfect Trojan from a device that can handle all Apple services (such as Apple Arcade, Apple TV Plus, Apple Music, iMessage, FaceTime and others) for years.

It's unlikely to be anyone's primary device, but for those looking to try iOS for the first time or keep a foot in the Apple loop, the new iPod touch is perfect. For $ 200, you have functional hardware that runs all the latest iOS applications and games, lets you get Apple's exclusive TV series, and lets you use FaceTime with friends.

I guess that's enough.

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