The next iPod touch could have iPhone X’s hottest feature

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face tracking
One more thing for tomorrow?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

From the tenth anniversary iPhone X to a next-gen Apple Watch and a 4K Apple TV, tomorrow’s Apple keynote is going to be a packed affair. However, Apple could potentially have one more thing to announce at the event: a brand new iPod touch.

Last updated in July 2015, a new iPod touch is long overdue. According to the recently-released treasure of iOS 11 developer code, a new model could be in the works. The most exciting bit? Its code hints at the same facial recognition technology the new iPhone will sport.

The line of code was uncovered by developer Benjamin Geskin. In a line of code, there is a reference made to the ability to, “Unlock you iPod with your Face.” Don’t get too excited, though, as Geskin states in a follow-up tweet that there is a good chance that this is futureproofing, rather than necessary a technology that will be implemented.

Considering that the iPod touch never took the leap to including Touch ID, it wouldn’t necessarily make sense to adopt Apple’s latest biometric security system.

With that said, it’s promising to hear that Apple isn’t totally ditching work on the iPod — despite the fact that it’s no longer a big seller for Apple in the way that it was back in the mid-2000s. Back in early 2015, Apple took the step of no longer reporting its sales individually, but rather shuffling the iPod under the “Other Products” category of its earning reports.

Nonetheless, in my view the iPod touch works great as training wheels for the iPhone, so as to get kids an iOS device prior to buying them an iPhone.

Do you think we’ll see an iPod at tomorrow’s event? Is there still space for the iPod in Apple’s repertoire of products? Leave your comments below.

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