Apple iPod Touch ‘5’ Release Date Slated For Late October; Launch May Coincide With iTunes 11, iPad Mini [REPORT]

The iPhone 5 was the main attraction at Apple’s media event on Sept. 12, but the announcement also saw the unveiling of an all-new iPod Touch, which features the same 4-inch Retina Display and general form factor as the iPhone 5, even though the device is substantially thinner and more sleek at just 6.1 mm thick.

Apple originally said the fifth-generation iPod Touch, as well as seventh-generation iPod Nano, would be released to in October, but did not specify a date. On Monday, however, Australian users told SlashGear that Apple has changed its ship date availability to “3 weeks,” which means we could see the iPod Touch on store shelves by Monday, Oct. 29. Given Apple’s penchant for releasing new devices on a Friday, it’s more likely we will see Apple release the new iPod Touch on Friday, Oct. 26.

The new iPod Touch has most of the same specs and features as the iPhone 5, with the exception of its thinner form, its downgrade from an 8-megapixel camera to a 5-megapixel camera, and its additional “iPod Touch loop,” which hooks onto the bottom of the device for added security when taking pictures or just a simple stroll. Apple boasts the battery in the new iPod Touch can provide up to 40 hours of music playback and up to eight hours of video playback, but unlike the iPhone 5, the iPod Touch is a bit less speedy. The device is powered by a faster A5 processor rather than the custom A6 chip in the iPhone 5, and the iPod Touch lacks any cellular capabilities or the lightning fast speed of LTE.

However, since the new iPod Touch features most of the same qualities as the iPhone 5, Apple has priced it accordingly. The new iPod comes in 32GB or 64GB capacities but unlike the iPhone 5, which just comes in two different color combinations, Apple offers six beautiful colors to choose from, including black, silver, pink, yellow, teal, and red, the last of which donates a portion of the cost to fighting AIDs in Africa.

October Is Apple’s Month To Strike

Apple fans may have thought that the iPhone 5 unveiling was the last major product debut they’d see from the Cupertino, Calif.-based company this year. Those fans may be surprised, given the multitude of rumors saying Apple will hold yet another product unveiling later this very month to introduce even more products for the holiday season.

On Oct. 1, CNN Money reported that a major Apple investor, citing “multiple sources,” pegged the unveiling of the new iPad Mini for Wednesday, Oct. 17, with invitations to be sent out one week prior on Oct. 10. CNN Money said “this is a rumor we have no reason to believe except it comes from a major Apple investor,” but after its report was published, news sites started coming out of the woodwork with photos of alleged parts and reports of mass production on the iPad Mini coming out of Apple’s Asian and Brazilian component suppliers.

Given the fact that Apple is also expected to launch a new version of iTunes this month – iTunes 11 – it would make a great deal of sense for Apple to announce the release dates of iTunes 11, the iPad Mini, and even the new iPod Touch and iPod Nano at this same event.

Prior to Apple’s Sept. 12 event, sources close to the company predicted a separate unveiling date for the iPad Mini in October. It all started with a blog post from John Gruber of Daring Fireball, who was one of the first to discuss Apple developing its mini tablet. On Aug. 23, Gruber ruminated about the likelihood of the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini sharing the same stage.

"I'm thinking it makes more sense for Apple to hold two events," Gruber said. "First, an iPhone event, focused solely on the new iPhone and iOS 6. Then, the iPhone ships nine days later, and there's another wave of iPhone-focused attention as the reviews come out. Then, in the first or second week of October, Apple holds its traditional "music event", exactly along the lines of the events at which they've been debuting new iPods for the last decade."

Shortly after Gruber's post, The Loop's Jim Dalrymple, who is known for his trademark "Yep" to confirm Apple rumors, reposted Gruber's quote and added a line of his own, a longer one this time.

"Oh that Gruber is a smart fellow," Dalrymple hinted.

Shortly thereafter, news sites like PC Magazine, USA TODAY and Fox News all reported that Apple would hold separate events for the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini. Nearly two months later, we still believe the iPad Mini will be unveiled this month, especially given the recent influx of alleged prototype imagesand reports of mass production.

Apple was also expected to debut several new computers at its September event, including a new iMac model and a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. It’s possible this October event will see the unveiling of these new computers as well, given how Apple snubbed its professional user base earlier this year at WWDC.