Tea Leaves Suggest New iPod Touch, A5X-Powered iPhone

Along with a new iPhone, Apple is expected to unveil the company’s first iPod touch refresh in two years later in 2012, according to 9to5Mac.

The Sixth Generation iPhone

According to the report, Apple is already testing a sixth generation iPhone, although it is doing so within the iPhone 4/4S design. Naturally, this is being done to throw off leaks and does not suggest the next iPhone will look like the last two models, because it won’t. Instead, Apple engineers are spending time testing a new variation of the A5X chip, which first arrived on the new iPad last month. The new prototypes will include 1GB of RAM.

This prototype is labeled N96 internally, but we’re not sure if this internal codename will carry over to the actual next-generation iPhone. Again, this iPhone that we are describing is an internal-only unit built for testing the performance of a new chip in an iPhone, not an actual phone that Apple will produce.

Earlier today, a separate source indicated the next iPhone would include a unibody case, a larger screen and LTE/4G support.

The Fifth Generation iPod touch

Meanwhile, Apple is said to be working on a fifth generation iPod touch. While no hardware specifics are known about this, 9to5Mac suggests “major” internal changes are coming. At the minimum, Apple’s popular gaming device could include an A5 or A5X-like chip. The current model, which first arrived in September 2010, includes an A4 chipset. As a reminder, Apple has traditionally released new iPhones in June or July following WWDC. However, the company’s current model, the iPhone 4S, was released last October. New iPod touch models usually arrive in the fall.

Related articles