A new model of the iPod touch, which hadn't been updated in a long time, has finally appeared. The look is unchanged, but the CPU has been bumped from the A8 to the A10 Fusion — the same chip used in the iPhone 7. Storage options are 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB. I'd already given up thinking the iPod would ever get another refresh, but out of nowhere, here it is.

Spec Comparison

iPod touch 6th Gen iPod touch 7th Gen
CPU Apple A8 (Dual-core 1.1GHz) Apple A10 (Quad-core 2.34GHz)
Storage 16/32/64/128GB 32/128/256GB
Video — HEVC support
Camera — HEIF support

Other specs — color, size, weight, and so on — are the same.

How Powerful Is the A10 Fusion Chip?

The A10 Fusion in this new iPod touch is the same chip that's in the iPhone 7 — a few generations behind the latest A11 Bionic. It's quad-core, with two high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores. Maximum clock speed is 2.34GHz, and it's manufactured by TSMC.

The Cheapest iOS Device You Can Buy Right Now

The new 7th-generation iPod touch starts at 21,800 yen (about 200 USD, excl. tax) at the Apple store. That's less than half the price of an iPhone 7, making it the cheapest iOS device Apple currently sells. There's no Touch ID or Face ID, but the 3.5mm headphone jack — which is disappearing from most recent models — is still alive and well.