iPhone 5 Event: New iPod Touch Announced

Though the iPhone 5 was certainly the highlight of Apple’s big announcement event today, the company still has a ton of announcements aside from its new flagship smartphone.

For those who don’t need an Apple device that doubles as a cell phone, the new, 5th-generation iPod touch debuted. Apple Vice President of Worldwide iPod, iPhone, and iOS Product Marketing Greg Joswiak took to the stage at Apple’s event today and showed off what he says is the best iPod Apple has ever made.

The portable media player is only 6.1 mm thick, and is the lightest iPod touch ever created. The case is made of anodized aluminum.

Excitingly, the display on the device is the same one that is used in the new iPhone 5. Meaning a 4-inch, 1136 x 640 resolution, 326 PPI retina display. As with the iPhone 5, the battery life of the iPod touch has been increased so that it can now play 40 hours of music without being charged.

The iPod touch will not be getting the iPhone 5′s new A6 processor, but an upgrade to the A5 should keep mobile gamers a part of what Apple seems to be hoping is a burgeoning mobile game industry. Also, the iPod will be getting a 5 MP iSight camera with the same “sapphire crystal” as the iPhone 5.

A new accessory, the “iPod touch loop” will also be available this fall. It’s a plastic bracelet that connects to the iPod touch to keep users from dropping it.

The iPod touch will also come with Apple’s new, bulbous “earPods.” The headphones are designed to be more comfortable in customers’ ears and direct sound straight into ears.