Apple has hit yet another significant milestone in its product lineup: the iPod touch has now sold over 100 million units, according to The Loop. Cupertino says that the iPod touch now accounts for half of all iPod sales – an impressive achievement considering the recent shift towards smartphone usage for media tasks. Then again, it’s still a cheap alternative to portable gaming systems such as the Sony PSP and Nintendo 3DS.
The original iPod touch was introduced in 2007 not long after the announcement of the iPhone. It featured the same 3.5-inch touchscreen, as well as iOS, but ditched the cellular radio and focused purely on media and entertainment. Ever since then, Apple has steadily refreshed the unit and kept it affordable for those unable to buy an iPhone – the rise of mobile gaming no doubt helped to keep the unit popular too.
The milestone comes shortly after Apple quietly introduced a new, cheaper version of the fifth-generation iPod touch. Previously the portable media player was only available in 32 or 64GB variants. Apple has now added a 16GB option, but it comes at the expense of the 5-megapixel camera and loop lanyard strap. The new 16GB model is available for £199, somewhat cheaper than the £249 that Apple wants for the 32GB model.
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