Apple May Be Working on 7th-Generation iPod Touch, 2019 iPhones Could Adopt USB-C

Apple could have a 7th-generation iPod touch in the works, according to new information shared today by Japanese site Mac Otakara.

Several suppliers at CES 2019 reportedly told Mac Otakara that a 7th-generation iPod touch "might" be in development as a replacement for the 6th-generation version.

The site did not provide details on when an updated iPod touch might launch, nor what features it might include.

Apple last updated the hardware in the iPod touch in July 2015, introducing an A8 chip, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and six color options.

The iPod touch lineup was last tweaked in July 2017 when Apple streamlined the available capacity options (32 and 128GB) and introduced new pricing tiers. Right now, the iPod touch costs $199 for the 32GB version and $299 for the 128GB version, with the higher-capacity model's pricing not too far off from the $329 9.7-inch iPad.

With the iPod shuffle and iPod nano having been discontinued in 2017, Apple's plans for the iPod touch and the iPod family in general have been unclear.

The iPod has seemed to be on its last legs as Apple customers shift to other devices like the iPhone and the iPad, but it's not out of the question that the iPod touch could be updated with more modern hardware like an improved rear camera and a faster A-series chip.

Mac Otakara's report also suggests that the next-generation iPhone coming in 2019 could potentially include a USB-C port. According to "those who are working on it," though, it has not reached a design reference step and whether or not the new iPhones will use USB-C over Lightning is not yet fully established.

This is not the first time we've heard that USB-C could be a feature included in the 2019 iPhone lineup. Atherton Research analyst Jean Baptiste Su recently said that he believes Apple will transition away from Lightning, introducing a USB-C port for the iPhone like it did on the 2018 iPad Pro models.

DigiTimes has also suggested in a vaguely worded report that 2019 iPhones could feature USB-C ports instead of Lightning ports, though it was difficult to tell if it was referring to the ports or a USB-C to Lightning cable for the iPhones.

A swap to USB-C from Lightning has been rumored for years, but the fact that Apple made the transition in the iPad Pro lends more credence to new rumors suggesting the same transition for the 2019 iPhones.