Some who ordered Apple’s new iPod touch when it was announced last month are waking up to good news: Apple started to ship the new iPod on Tuesday. The fifth-generation iPod never had a clear release or ship date as Apple uncharacteristically provided the vague “October” time frame for availability. On my own shipment notification, Apple says the new iPod touch will arrive at my house on Oct. 15 as it makes its way from China via FedEx.
In addition to not providing a detailed release date for the iPod touch, Apple hasn’t explained the reason for the lack of specificity. Given that the iPod touch uses the exact same display as the new iPhone 5, it’s possible that supply of that component is constrained between two popular devices. In fact, the newest iPod touch is more like its iPhone counterpart than any iPod touch before it.
For that very reason, I decided to flirt with an iPod on the side while having a serious relationship with my Android phones. At $ 299, the iPod touch provides much of the iPhone experience — Siri, Bluetooth 4.0, faster Wi-Fi and the 4-inch Retina Display — but without the monthly bill for cellular and mobile broadband connectivity.
