iPod touch 6th Generation
Apple also made some significant changes to the cameras in the iPod touch. In addition to an 8 Megapixel camera, Apple updated the image sensor processor and added burst and slo-mo modes to the iPod touch.
Not to be outdone by the iPhone when capturing movies, the iPod touch also gains cinematic video stabilization. This is especially handy if you’re capturing a movie while moving—the technology stabilizes the movie automatically.
If, for some reason, you don’t want an iPhone, this seems like a great deal for a fast iOS device with a solid camera.
The new iPod touch has the same weight and dimensions as the previous model, and continues to sport a 4-inch Retina screen. (Yes, this means that for the moment, the new iPod touch is the most advanced device Apple makes with a four-inch screen, since the iPhone 5S still uses the older A7 processor. This move also makes me even more convinced that Apple will release an A8-powered 4-inch iPhone this fall, as a successor to the 5S.)
One can hope.
Update (2015-07-16): John Gruber:
Word from a few little birdies is that what remains of the iPod software team is now working on Apple Watch — the Nano UI wasn’t updated to look like iOS 7 because there’s no one left to do it.
Update (2015-07-20): Matt Birchler (via Marco Arment):
With this week’s update to the entire iPod lineup, many have been asking “Who are iPods even for these days?” Well, I worked the last 3 years managing an electronics department for Target, and have sold a lot of Apple devices over that time. Since Apple doesn’t break down demographics for who is buying each device, I thought I would share my experience.
The iPod touch 6 is clearly better than the iPod touch 5, about the same as the iPad Air 2, and just behind the iPhone 6.
Update (2015-07-22): Kirk McElhearn:
So why buy an iPod touch, when I have an iPhone and an iPad? My use case is different from that of most people: I need a device I can use for testing, on which I can install beta software. The 5th generation iPod touch lagged a lot with the iOS 9 betas, and the new model is really fast; faster than my iPhone 5s. But beyond that, I plan to use the iPod touch as an Apple Music device. With all the problems caused by the iCloud Music Library, I won’t trust my iPhone, or my main iTunes library, to use this service. Having an iPod touch makes it easy to use Apple Music at home, in conjunction with a library on my MacBook Pro.
