14 DAY TRIAL // Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has been doing some snooping around to learn whether or not Apple is launching a fifth-generation iPod touch this year.
The current iPod touch players feature a metal finish, a super slim design, and feature a black bezel behind the front glass.
Just like the iPhone 4, the current-generation of iPod touch devices boast Retina displays.
iOS 5 SDK code strings uncovered in June indicated there was a new iPod touch planned for release.
The designation served as an indicator that a minor update was planned for the portable player, rather than a major overhaul.
Kuo says his supply chain checks indicate a similar scenario.
The analyst tells AppleInsider that the iPod touch is the only one of Apple's four portable players that continues to perform well. Sales of other iPod models have plummeted in recent years.
To put this into perspective, of the 7.54 million iPods shipped during the quarter, more than half were iPod touches.
With his attention focused on the current fiscal quarter, Kuo checked with Apple’s partners and reportedly learned that Cupertino has placed orders for a white iPod touch model.
The devices are expected to enter mass production next month.
However, Kuo noted, the build plans for Apple’s new iPod touch players reflect few to no distinguishable changes from the existing lineup.
"It means no spec update of iPod touch this year," he said.
If Apple decides to slowly phase out the iPod touch, as it did with the White MacBook, it may be worth the shot to introduce an aesthetically redesigned version prior to its discontinuation.
The reasoning here is that it could boost sales a tad, much like the controversial White iPhone 4 did. Its arrival to the market was delayed by almost a year.