Apple had a pair of iPod touch announcements Thursday, first releasing a modified fifth-generation iPod touch at a lower price point and then announcing, by way of The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple, that the company has sold 100 million of the devices to date.
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The new iPod touch was released early Thursday morning without fanfare. The model brings many of the high-end features and design to a lower price point of $229 (current fifth-generation models start at $299). Featuring the same 4-inch Retina display, A5 processor, and aluminum backing, the new touch lacks a rear camera, 1080p video recording, choice of color, and loop accessory attachment. The new model is available only in a 16 GB configuration with a silver colored back.
The sole negative of the new model’s appearance in Apple’s lineup is the elimination of the fourth-generation iPod touch. When Apple launched the fifth-generation of the device last September, the company kept the old fourth-generation models in stock for $199. While these older models lacked the new larger display and faster processor, they offered a cheap way to enjoy iOS for customers unable or unwilling to purchase an iPhone or iPad. Now, with the new modified fifth-generation model starting at $229, the cost of entry for the iPod touch just went up 15 percent.
Turning to overall sales of the touch, Jim Dalrymple reported this morning that his well-established Apple contacts had disclosed that the company has now surpassed 100 million total sales of the iPod touch. Apple rarely reports on iPod sales but documents made public during the company’s lawsuit with Samsung last year revealed total sales to that point of 46.5 million in the United States alone.
The iPod touch was first released in September 2007, shortly after the introduction of the first iPhone. Recognizing the limitations of the iPhone’s market reach at that point, Apple sought a way to introduce the “iPhone OS,” as it was then known, to a broader market. The explosion of iOS apps and accessories have since made the iPod touch one of Apple’s most popular products.
The modified fifth-generation iPod touch is available now from Apple’s online store and should be in most Apple retail locations by Friday.
For perspective, here’s the very first iPod touch commercial from Apple (look at that empty home screen!):
