Kuo also expects a new iPod touch with a faster chip to launch in 2019

A reliable analyst has predicted that Apple will refresh the iPod touch line this year with a faster chip, but don’t keep your fingers crossed for a major overhaul of the media player.

In a wide-ranging research note issued to clients Sunday, Kuo outlined his predictions for Apple’s releases in 2019 that include the AirPower wireless charging mat and the next AirPods, plus a new 16-inch MacBook Pro, iPad mini 5, a 10.2-inch budget iPad and more.

The analyst has called for a new iPod touch with a faster processor to launch in 2019 but that’s pretty much all he would say. The Japanese blog Mac Otakara speculated in January that Apple might position the next iPod touch as a gateway to Apple Music and other services.

We think an iPod touch refresh is pretty much given at this point because a regulatory filing and the iOS 12.2 code are both hinting at a next-generation iPod touch.

Just don’t expect an iPad Pro-style overhaul with Face ID and an edge-to-edge OLED display the iOS 12.2 beta strongly suggest no Face ID and no Touch ID. The sixth-generation iPod touch, which iDB reviewed three years ago, costs just $199 for the 32GB version.

Our video editor Harris Craycraft recently revisited our original review in an attempt to figure out whether or not the media player is still worth it in this day and age.

The sixth-generation iPod touch made its debut on July 15, 2015. It’s powered by Apple’s dual-core 64-bit A8 chip from September 2014 and features a four-inch 1,136-by-640 pixel LCD screen at 326 ppi with 800:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 max brightness and no IPS technology.

The front camera captures 720p video but taking selfies with this media player is capped at just 1.2 megapixels. The back camera takes eight-megapixel images and shoots 1080p video. Slo-mo video is supported at 120 frames per second.

Reading those specifications, it should go without saying that a simple specs upgrade in the form of a CPU/GPU bump would make for a modern, affordable App Store machine.

Should Apple continue updating iPod touch or focus its energies on more pressing updates?

Let us know by leaving a comment down below.