Dead device walking: Apple iPod Touch 6th generation

Finite loop

Externally, the only difference from the previous case, whose styling presaged the iPhone 6, is that the “loop” camera-strap concept Jony Ive tried so valiantly to sell us with the 5th gen has been quietly dropped, so there’s no longer a pop-out fastener for it.

Communicate via FaceTime, manually tweak camera settings... oh and there's a music player too

The screen is not obviously different from the previous model; contrast seemed a touch greater, but that could just be because our old one’s old. As before, colour balance is slightly warm and muddy compared to the iPhone, but it’s a decent Retina display that goes bright. And stays bright, since there’s no ambient light sensor to enable auto-adjust.

This remains the only current (rather than superseded-but-still-on-sale) Apple device without Touch ID in the Home button. Fingerprint recognition doesn’t save a huge amount of time compared to passcode entry, let’s be honest, but it’s nice to have. As is Apple Pay, also unsupported.

It’s a shame the iPod version of the EarPods lacks the iPhone’s inline mic/remote clicker.

Oh, there's no inline mic/volume clicker on your headphone cable. The EarPods supplied with the touch have never had it, even though the ones sold with the iPhone and separately do, and that hasn’t changed. If you prefer wireless headphones, you’re out of luck again, because iOS still doesn’t support the higher-quality aptX audio codec, and it doesn’t look as if the autumn upgrade to iOS 9 will bring it. No, music really isn’t a priority.

Indeed, Apple doesn’t make any audiophile claims about its iPods’ sound quality – although others have come close. They are solid state music file players designed for accurate playback and ultra-flat response, and that’s what you get. The 6th gen seems to use the same Cirrus audio chips as before, and what comes out of the headphone socket will sound as good as what you’ve plugged into it.

As always, no micro SD storage expansion but the apps are cheap and plentiful

The Reg Verdict

Look again at that price tag, and compromising on the non-essentials suddenly feels pretty good. Even a 32GB model, the smallest you should contemplate unless you get a kick out of deleting and re-installing things, is only £199. For teenagers who don’t want the burden of an iPhone contract, casual gamers who don’t want to pay £30 per 3DS or Vita title, and anyone who just fancies a tiny, brilliant, do-it-all computer, the iPod Touch is back.

Hang on, though. There’s still no “iPod” tab at the top of Apple’s website and no press images on its PR pages. Maybe we’d better not get too attached.

The iPod Touch (6th generation) is available now in Silver, Gold, Space Grey, Pink, Blue and Red, from £159. Grab it while you can. ®