Apple introduced the new iPod Touch yesterday which contained a couple of minor hardware tweaks over the previous model. Most notably, this included a built-in speaker and volume control buttons which were both absent on the 1st generation iPod Touch.
One item we failed to report, however, was that Apple appears to have also added external microphone support (with an accessory) into the iPod Touch as well. Apple introduced two new earphones accessories yesterday: Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic and In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic.
The microphone feature of the headsets was advertised as allowing you to record voice memos on the new iPod Nano, but Apple's product page indicates that the Mic also works with the iPod Classic as well as the new iPod Touch:
The remote and mic are supported only by iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch (2nd generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models.
Adding convenient microphone support into the iPod Touch opens up the possibility of Voice Over IP (VOIP) applications such as Skype which would allow you to make telephone calls from your iPod Touch over Wi-Fi networks. Apple has said that they would not restrict Wi-Fi VOIP applications as long as they did not run over the iPhone's cellular networks.
The microphones portion of the headsets will not work with the 1st generation iPod Touch. The new headset's audio and skip/next button reportedly work on the iPhone, but the volume controls do not.
There remains the possibility that this is a misprint on Apple's website and the iPod Touch does not support the microphone portion of the headset.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
