While Apple themselves haven’t said anything about changes in the release date of the upcoming 6th edition of the iPod Touch, recent rumors indicate that the device might come out later than was originally planned, and has been rescheduled for a release in March next year. It was originally intended to come out in October this year, according to the initial reports, but Apple missed that deadline due to alleged technical issues behind the scenes.
The iPod Touch 6G was supposed to be released alongside the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, but the releases were split up to accommodate for the company’s new production plans. Other reports stated that Apple wanted to pair the iPod’s release with that of their new iPhone 6, although nothing of the sort was announced when the iPhone 6 came out in September this year, and fans turned their eyes to the next rumored release date.
The device is expected to feature various additions to the standard design of the iPod Touch, including the Touch ID functionality present in some of the more recent Apple mobile devices. Apple have been reportedly trying to minimize the “clutter” in the design of the product, however, aiming to remove features they deemed unnecessary for a music player. How exactly this is going to affect the product isn’t known yet, although Apple can surely be trusted to take a minimalistic approach to their development and pull it off properly, without causing any negative reactions from their long-time fans.
According to insider rumors, this is driven by concerns regarding the pricing of the device, something which the company has been having trouble figuring out properly. The iPod Touch has traditionally featured expensive hardware, close to that in Apple’s iPhones – yet on the other hand, the fact that it’s not an actual mobile phone has meant that no carrier can offer a subsidized contract for the device. As a result, Apple have been having a hard time finding an acceptable middle ground where the new iPod Touch has a good price point, yet doesn’t lack the powerful hardware features that the line became known for.
Other problems that have been troubling the company on the inside have been related to its growing production line, as Apple have been expanding their different devices in new directions. One example of this has been the branching of the iPhone into sub-models. In addition, the company is reportedly experimenting with new, unannounced devices behind closed doors as well, further adding to the complexity of the situation. As a result, they have been finding it difficult to organize their production in order to meet their various deadlines properly, and this has been an ongoing issue.