Apple is reportedly planning to refresh its iPod range this week, in a low-key update to the now almost forgotten range of music players. iPod sales have fallen off a cliff in recent years, with most people now using their smartphone as an MP3 player. However, the iPod still has a dedicated following amongst excercise freaks and children who are too young to be given their own mobile phone.
Apple uncharacteristically leaked a shot of the new iPod range within an update to the iTunes software earlier this month. Although it didn't show any new hardware designs, as such, it showed the various iPod models in different colour options to what is currently available, hinting at a forthcoming refresh.
Now, French site iGeneration claims to have details of the revamp, which will be unveiled tomorrow. The iPod touch is set to get a signifcant revamp of its internals and possibly its screen, which haven't been touched since 2012. It will also be available in new colours, including the electric blue livery that appeared in Apple's leak.
The shuffle and nano are also set to be updated, although that may only be a cosmetic change to introduce new colours. It's possible the two devices could also be updated to support Apple Music, the company's new streaming service, potentially adding support for offline playback for subscribers, according to the report.
The iPod was one of the products that helped transform Apple's financial fortunes at the start of the century, but the latest Apple annual earnings show that sales are down 48% year-on-year, with the segment now in an irreversible decline. Even finding the devices on the Apple website is a challenge, with the iPod no longer afforded a tab of its own at the top of the company's homepage.
