After Sony's Walkman, it was Apple's iPod that helped people listen to music on the go. With the advent of smartphones iPod started losing its sheen, but there are reports that Apple may be on the verge of releasing next generation iPod Touch models.

While Cupertino-based company is known for its revolutionary products, one big question is how relevant are the portable music players in the present world. 

Steve Jobs took the way music was played to a different platform with iPod in 2006. In the recent times, recently Apple has been busy with the iPhones and MacBooks and looked like they had forgot about the iPods.

So, why is Apple now coming up with an iPod in this iPhone crazy world. It is notable that Apple pulled down the iPod section on its website in June and the music player does not find a space in the quarterly sales report.

Well, iPod Touch was no more just a music player, but a lot of features had been pulled up from the iPhone.

Apple has been investing some money and time in the likes of Apple Music and Beats, which might argue against the phasing out of iPods. In a way, iPod is also a low-cost appetiser for other iOS devices. 

Barring the lack of calling feature, iPod has most of the iPhone features and even offers WiFi connectivity. 

The next gen iPod Touch is being rumoured to have three colour schemes: gold, bright blue and fushcia and the camera is said to be upgraded though not yet clear about the exact capacity.

Also, the reports claim that 6th generation iPod will come with a 64-bit processor to make music sound better and will be available with 16, 32 and 64 GB versions.

In June iPod was removed from the company website and its recent quarterly sales report, as the sales of the iPod have been declining over the years. The decline in sales was not surprising as apps like Saavn and Gaana have gained popularity and turned the smartphones into music players.

Apple's decision on bringing out refreshed iPod models may be critical to maintain its ecosystem. In the past Apple has proved its critics wrong with the success of iPhones, iPads and Macs. 

However, while iPod Touch might seem a cheaper version of the iPhone, the iPod nano and iPod shuffle are popular among those who prefer to listen music on the move. With their ability to blend design and technology to perfection, we can surely be assured that it will one of the best products from the stables of Apple. How will the people respond to it? Let us wait and watch.

Tags : Apple, iPod, iPod Touch