New iPod Touch, iPod Nano Release Date Is Here: Apple Begins Shipping, Stores Start Selling

We weren’t sure when Apple was going to release its all-new fifth-generation iPod Touch and seventh-generation iPod Nano, but it looks like that day is today.

At the company’s iPhone 5 event in San Francisco last month, Apple promised an October timeframe to ship off pre-orders for the new iPod Touch and iPod Nano, and as of Tuesday morning, we’re getting word from those customers that Apple has released email notifications that their orders have shipped, with delivery expected early next week.

Most customers both in the US and abroad are reporting that Apple’s intended delivery date for its new iPod Touch and iPod Nano is Monday, Oct. 15. Some customers, including one Australian reader, still say their order is listed as “preparing for shipment,” so it’s most likely that all pre-orders will be satisfied by the end of next week.

For those that didn’t pre-order their new iPods, it appears as though Apple has also begun selling the new iPods in at least some of its retail locations. Customers began tweeting pictures of the new iPods in the Apple Stores, including the (Product)RED models sold exclusively through those stores.

About The New iPods

Apple has a useful comparison of all its available iPods on its website, but we’ve broken down these two particular iPods for your convenience:

The new iPod Touch has most of the same specs and features as the iPhone 5 including iOS 6, the four-inch Retina Display and Siri, but the iPod Touch is also thinner, features a downgraded 5-megapixel camera from the iPhone’s 8-megapixel camera, and the device also includes a novel “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 that (Product)RED model, which sees a portion of its cost donated to helping fight AIDs in Africa. All iPod Touch devices cost $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB.

The seventh-generation iPod Nano, as Apple's VP of iOS and iPod product marketing Greg Joswiak put it, is “the best iPod we’ve ever made.” The newest iPod Nano was completely redesigned with a 2.5-inch display that perfectly fits widescreen video – a feature that was removed in the previous iPod Nano – and useful features like Bluetooth, a built-in pedometer and Nike+ support right out of the box, and an FM radio. This iPod gets 30 hours of audio playback but just 3.5 hours of video, but unlike the Touch, the nano gets sold in eight different candy colors, including black, silver, purple, teal, green, yellow, pink, and (Product)RED. The new iPod nano costs $149 and contains 16GB of space.

For any customers who pre-ordered the new iPod Touch or iPod Nano online, have you received your email from Apple that your order has shipped yet? If so, what is the intended delivery date for your new iPod? Customers can always check the estimated delivery date – as well as the package’s current status – via the carrier’s online service, which should be linked in Apple’s email notification.