The iPod touch hasn’t been updated in three-and-a-half years, the longest period in the product’s history without an upgrade. However, a recent trademark application from Apple gives the slightest hope that its touchscreen music player could have a future.

That’s because Apple has extended the trademark coverage for “iPod touch” to include “Hand-held units for playing electronic games; Handheld game consoles.” While there have long been games available on the iPod touch, this hints that Apple could see gaming as a future primary category for the product to exist in.

Adopting the gaming category for the iPod touch is something new for Apple. Since 2008, its trademark description has been in the following category:

“Portable and handheld digital electronic devices for recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, audio and video files; computer software for use in organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, audio and video files on portable and handheld digital electronic devices.”

Before you start getting too excited about Apple reinventing its iPod touch as a portable games console, however, it’s worth noting that this could well be a defensive trademark — designed just to stop other companies trying to launch a product under this name.

A new iPod touch?

It’s not the first hint we’ve had about a new iPod touch, though. A recent rumor cited several suppliers who believe Apple to be developing a seventh generation iPod touch to take over from the current 2015 version. Whether that becomes a reality in 2019 remains to be seen.

What do you think the best way for Apple to update the iPod touch is? Are there particular features, or a certain market, you’d like to see it take on? Or should Apple just let it ride off into the sunset and focus on other devices instead? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: MacRumors