Images have surfaced on Twitter this weekend offering a look at an unreleased first-generation iPod touch prototype. In these images, the iPod touch features a glossy black coating on the back, which the leaker says is the “same coating as the 2013 Mac Pro.”
Apple released the first-generation iPod touch in September of 2007, and it was updated yearly until September of 2010, after which updates became a bit more sporadic. The first-generation iPod touch that Apple ultimately released looks quite a bit different than this prototype.
The leaked iPod touch prototype images this weekend, which come via the Twitter account DongleBook Pro, show that Apple considered a glossy black finish for the back of the device. At the time, this glossy black finish would have been a new design language for Apple, but since then, we’ve seen it surface in several different products. For instance, the iPhone 3G ended up featuring a glossy black design, as did the 2013 Mac Pro and the jet black iPhone 7.
Apple ultimately opted for a mirrored finish on the back of the first-generation iPod touch, which was similar to other iPod models at the time. The current-model iPod touch, which was updated in May of 2019, features a matte finish on the back — a design that first came to the iPod touch in 2015. It’s certainly more durable than the mirrored finish of the early iPod days.
What do you think of these unreleased iPod touch prototype images? Would have you rather Apple opted for this design when the iPod touch was released in 2007? Let us know down in the comments!
