If you don’t mind refurbs, you can have it all for just $20/€15 more

Jun 3, 2013 08:15 GMT  ·  By

Apple last week quietly discontinued its 4th-generation iPod touch to introduce an updated (or should we say downgraded) 5th-generation model which sheds a few features in exchange for a lower price. The offer may seem like a bargain, but it’s not.

To be clear about one thing, the 5th-generation iPod touch is not a new affair. The player launched in September 2012 alongside the iPhone 5, but the model released by Apple last week is a bit different.

It lacks the powerful iSight camera on the back, as well as the “loop” fastener. There’s also just one color option to be had.

Lastly, but equally important, it offers half the storage capacity (just 16GB) of its full-fledged siblings.

While storage may not be that important for most people – after all, how many movies and apps can you have before you realize your life is run by technology? – the missing 8-megapixel camera on the back takes the edge off this iPod quite a bit.

Remember it costs $229/€239 instead of $299/€319 (the pricing in the European Apple Stores), which is what you’d normally pay for the full-featured iPod touch 5th-generation with 32GB, iSight cam, and “loop.”

Which begs the question: is the 16GB version really a “budget” iPod touch? Not really. And here’s why.

As we noted above, the introduction of this new iPod saw the axing of the 4th-gen model as a current-selling model on Apple’s online store.

But that doesn’t include the refurbs (Special Deals) section of Apple's store, where you can still have an 8GB iPod touch 4G (with dual cameras and an admittedly smaller Retina display) for as low as $129 (or around €99).

Now here’s the kicker. Also on Special Deals, the fully-equipped 5th-gen iPod touch with 32GB of storage, 4-inch Retina display, dual-cameras, loop support and multiple color variations sells for… drumroll… $249 (€191)!

For just a $20 / €15 premium, I’d say a refurbished 5th-gen iPod touch sounds like a much better deal than the new 2013 iPod touch.

Disclaimer This is a Personal Thoughts piece reflecting the author’s “personal” opinion on matters relating to Apple and / or the products associated with the Apple brand. This article should not be taken as the official stance of Softpedia on Apple-related matters.