Unreleased iPod Touch with Mac Pro Glossy Black Finish Shared Online

Twitter user @DongleBookPro has today posted images of what seems to be a first-generation iPod Touch prototype with a 2013 Mac Pro-style glossy black finish.

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The Twitter user claims that the iPod Touch prototype pictured has "the same coating as the 2013 Mac Pro." Had the finish been selected for the final product, it also would have been similar to the metallic glossy black finish that was included on the special U2 edition of the fifth-generation iPod in 2006.

The glossy black ‌Mac Pro‌ was announced at WWDC in 2013, with a radical cylindrical re-design. The design proved to be highly divisive, and the device has often been unofficially identified as the "trashcan" ‌Mac Pro‌.

The first-generation iPod touch was released in September 2007. This prototype device, with no Apple logo on the rear, appears to vary considerably from the final released product. It retains the same plastic cut-out in the top-left corner, 30-pin connector, and lock button. Apple ultimately chose a mirror finish, which was similar to other iPods available at the time. The final mirror finish was criticized for its susceptibility to scratches.

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Apple's glossy black finishes have similarly been criticized for durability. Apple warned users that its glossy Jet Black iPhone 7 would see "fine micro-abrasions" with use and instructed concerned customers to use a case, but no similar warning was given about other ‌iPhone‌ 7 colors.

Apple has experimented with glossy black finishes a number of times, such as on the ‌iPhone‌ 3G, Jet Black ‌iPhone‌ 7, and Space Black Apple Watch, in addition to the 2013 ‌Mac Pro‌. The only remaining Apple device sold in glossy black is the Space Black Apple Watch in stainless steel or titanium.

@DongleBookPro regularly posts images of unreleased Apple devices and prototypes.

Related Forum: iPod touch and iPod

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Top Rated Comments

goobot Avatar
64 months ago
I miss the slate black iPhone 5.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
64 months ago

I bet it’s fake. Anyone can claim that they have a prototype. It doesn’t even have an Apple logo on the back so I don’t believe it.
Prototypes don’t always have an Apple logo on them, it’s not like they need a reminder on who made it. If they are testing materials, they may not have made a decision on how to implement the Apple logo.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
64 months ago

I would love to see the back of it.
It’s the second picture...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
braddick Avatar
64 months ago
Ahhh, I simply thought it was the front with the screen turned off!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunapple Avatar
64 months ago
Jet Black iPhone 7 was my favorite finish, anything that makes the device look more like seamless solid block. This has that same vibe, sort of.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iModFrenzy Avatar
64 months ago

How exciting!

An old iPod.
Prototypes are cool, some people enjoy looking at hardware that never made it to the market. Especially Apple hardware. Take your negativity elsewhere.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)