Apple iPod Touch 7th Gen (A2178) - RIP
RIP to the final iPod, the iPod9,1 model number A2178. This model lasted from May 2019 - May 2022. In Space Gray, Gold, Silver, Pink, Blue, and even (PRODUCT) RED, with 32, 128, or 256 GB of storage. The only way to get one now is 'renewed' from Amazon or second hand.
TL:DR – RIP iPod October 22, 2001 - May 10, 2022
The original iPod, introduced on October 23, 2001, was the first MP3 player to pack 1,000 songs and a 10-hour battery into a music player. It killed competitors like the Memory Stick Walkman stone dead. The final model, the iPod Touch 7th generation, (A2178) boasts 40 hours of audio playback. It has Apple's A10 Fusion chip and is 64-bit . It has been quite a journey being the the first major update to the iPod touch for years. Now it turns out it was the last. "Fun at full speed" was its tagline.
Buying
As of 17th May 2022 the iPod Touch (7th Generation) went out of stock at Apple UK Certified Refurbished Store. Amazon UK have sporadic stock in 'renewed' condition. Computer Exchange have a wide selection of used models in varying condition. The 256 GB model is the one to have, but its still expensive.
Why buy one?
There are a number of good reasons for having one of these last of the line iPods kicking around. Dont forget they can run the latest release of iOS and are perfectly adequately powered by an A10 Fusion chip, with an 8MP camera, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi as well as all the software you might need from the App Store.
- No possibility of them being locked to a mobile phone operator - iPod is a Wi-Fi device
- If you have a car with CarPlay, you can leave one in your car (hidden away) so your Apple CarPlay is always working.
- If you use multiple Apple ID's perhaps because you are a developer, you can keep an iPod Touch specifically set up for each Apple ID for two factor authentication so that you dont need to keep fumbling around with text messages in order to be able to sign in to a specific account.
- If you use test apps using TestFlight you can have devices with multiple Apple ID's so that you dont need to keep messing around with your own iPhone in order to be able to test an app on a real device.
- iOS 15. These devices will update to the latest version of iOS 15. After that, Apple typically occasionally deliver security updates.
- No mobile data costs. If you have good Wi-Fi where you'll primarily be using the iPod Touch then this might be an attractive feature - no costs to manage.
What do we call Podcasts now?
Given that the iPod brought about the podcasting phenomena and by doing so changed the way people consumed information I find it a little bit astonishing that theres no room for something with that brand in Apples lineup. I bet we see a new product eventually. The brand name is too good. Otherwise we have to start calling them Phonecasts and that just sucks.
