Claimed Next-Generation iPod Touch Case Points to Significant Redesign

While part leaks for the next-generation iPhone have been plentiful, similar leaks for an updated iPod touch have been harder to locate, with a front panel showing an opening for a larger 4-inch display having been the only known leak so far.

Back in late July, Mac Otakara reported that the device would adopt the A5 system-on-a-chip found in the iPhone 4S, as well as a buffed aluminum shell. The report also claimed that there is a mystery hole in the lower portion of the rear shell, with a rendering based on the rumors showing the feature located in the lower center of the device.

GizChina now posts photos of what is said to be a case for the next-generation iPod touch, seemingly showing a less-tapered design. The case shows a widened rear camera hole that the report suggests could hint at the addition of an LED flash as seen on the iPhone. The current iPod touch does have a microphone in that location, however, and the opening in this new case may simply be to accommodate the same feature.

The new case also shows the "mystery hole" described in the Mac Otakara report, but it is located in the lower corner of the rear shell rather than in the center.

As you can see from the photos these cases suggest that the next generation iPod touch will have a new design (at least to the rear) and seem to be have a much less pronounced taper to the edges when compared to the current iPod touch 4.

The cases could also give away possible details as to the spec of the 5th generation iPod touch 5. The hole around the camera area to the left for example looks to have been elongated and tapered to fit around a possible LED flash to help with low light photography, and there is also the appearance of a new ‘mystery hole’ in the lower left hand side of the case.

ipod touch 5 case
The report speculates that the mystery hole could be for a speaker or microphone of some sort, but there have yet to be any part leaks to provide additional hints at its function.

As with the tapered iPhone cases seen in 2011, case companies are sometimes incorrect in their designs, and thus part leaks such as those seen for the next-generation iPhone are regarded as much more significant. But in the absence of major part leaks for the next iPod touch, cases bearing a new design are currently one of the only pieces of evidence available for fueling speculation and discussion of a potential redesign for the device.

Related Forum: iPod touch and iPod

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

White House Hits Back at Apple's Massive EU Fine

Thursday April 24, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports. The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...
ipad air magic keyboard feature

iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu. This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...

Top Rated Comments

levitynyc Avatar
165 months ago
"Mystery hole" just doesn't sound right.

----------

don't 3d cameras have 2 lenses? just a thought, doubt that's what it's for though.

3D lenses are typically close together than parallel
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aidan5806 Avatar
165 months ago
O.O ITS A HOLOGRAPHIC PROJECTOR COMBINED WITH A LASER POINTER COMBINED WITH A 3D PRINTER:rolleyes: No but seriously those cases look wafer thin and awesome.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
snebes Avatar
165 months ago
Actually the simplest explanation is a headphone jack. Looks like the new iPod will follow the more square/rectangle design of iPhone.

The simplest explanation for the separate hole would be a standalone LED flash. The microphone would remain in its current location next to the camera lens.


You're both wrong. It is a COAX connector for the external TV antenna.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Love Juice Avatar
165 months ago
Actually the simplest explanation is a headphone jack. Looks like the new iPod will follow the more square/rectangle design of iPhone.
a headphone jack on the rear of the device?:confused: lmfao :rolleyes:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cvaldes Avatar
165 months ago
Actually the simplest explanation is a headphone jack. Looks like the new iPod will follow the more square/rectangle design of iPhone.
Not if the iPod touch has a similar thinness.

The current iPod touch is 7.2 mm thick. The length of the metal part of a 3-conductor 3.5mm audio jack is 14 mm long.

In order for your assumption to be true, the thickness of the iPod touch would need to be increased to about 20 mm or Apple would have to go to a totally different, non-standard audio plug, neither of which sound plausible.

It's comments like these that make me view tech media sites as science fiction short story repositories more than anything remotely journalistic or frequented by people connected to reality.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
charlieegan3 Avatar
165 months ago
don't 3d cameras have 2 lenses? just a thought, doubt that's what it's for though.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)