iPod Touch 2019 Review: A Nostalgic Device But Is It Worth It?

A couple of years back, Apple decided to retire the iPod Touch since now we have the iPhone and iPad. Then out of the blue, Apple decided to announce the iPod Touch again in 2019. A lot of people are wondering why Apple has come out with the new iPod Touch now, but we have a pretty good reason why they did it.

It’s been updated with the new A10 fusion chip and a 4″ IPS Retina display, and comes in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options. There’s also an 8MP rear camera and 1.2MP selfie camera, and that’s about it. It’s a simple device that’s meant for one main purpose, and that’s to store and play your media.

Let’s talk performance. You’re not going to be using the iPod Touch to play graphic-intensive games because this simply doesn’t have that kind of processing power, as compared to the iPhone (A10 chip versus A12 chip).

Watching YouTube videos, listening to podcasts, that’s the kind of stuff that the iPod Touch is meant for. But you might be asking “I have my iPhone, why do I need this?”

If you’re exercising, do you really want to carry around your S$2000 smartphone around and risk it falling out of your pocket and getting damaged? At S$299, a damaged iPod Touch is much cheaper to replace. Also, why would you want to be disturbed by WhatsApp, calls and other notifications? You’ll get to disconnect and have time to just exercise and decompress while still enjoying music.

At 88 grams, this super light device is perfect for tucking into a pocket and going running with, or even put into an armband. It won’t weigh it down like how most other smartphones will.

If you want to watch movies or edit photos on it, it’ll work, but you’ll be working with the constraints of a small screen and a slower chip which will feel less fluid and snappy.

Honestly, if you have an Apple Watch, the iPod Touch might be a bit redundant because you can listen to music through the watch. But if you don’t, the iPod Touch might be the product you want if you want to take a break from your phone once in a while.

Unfortunately, battery life isn’t the best on this. The estimated music playback battery life is said to be 40 hours, with 8 hours of video playback. Standby battery life isn’t fantastic either, one hour of active usage and a couple days of it being left in a bag and the battery ended up low or almost flat. If you conscientiously disconnect from Wi-Fi and such, the battery life might be better, but who really wants to keep turning Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and off when you just want to grab and go?

There’s no Touch ID either, so you’re stuck with the old-school passcode option.

The prices for this iPod touch start from S$299 for the 32GB storage option, goes up to $469 for 128GB and caps out at $639 for the 256GB model. The two more expensive options are a little steep, and considering the fact that most people nowadays use subscription services like Spotify or Tidal to listen to music, the 32GB might be enough if you’re conservative with which playlists you download for offline listening.

The iPod Touch is available on Apple’s website and authorised distributors.