6 ms·

That's a damned shame, the iPod Touch was a great way to give kids a "phone" without giving them a real phone.

by asciimov 4y ago

foogazi 4y ago
What about an iPhone without a sim card ? camera will be way better anyway
- izzydata 4y ago
  That seems far more expensive than an iPod.
  - mrpippy 4y ago
    An older (or new with discounts) iPhone SE isn't much more
  - skinnymuch 4y ago
    iPhone SE 2nd generation (from early 2020) will be pretty cheap nowadays with the 3rd gen out. Probably still a bit pricier than an iPod Touch, but Apple went long periods of time without updating the Touch. While not reducing the price. Though it won’t be possible to get new iPhone SE 2nd gen for long. At that point, a refurbished or used 11 or XR or SE 2nd gen will not be too much. The latter two should be cheaper than a new iPod Touch.
  - Gigachad 4y ago
    These days parents hand down their phone to their kids so its basically free from that perspective. The height of the iPod Touch was the time when parents were only just getting their first smartphone.
windowsrookie 4y ago
It's essentially an iPhone 7 without a SIM. Just buy one of those. I'm assuming it would cost less than a new iPod touch and it prevents old iPhones from becoming e-waste.
- nytesky 4y ago
  We have a bunch of old iPhones for kids, but we can’t setup iMessage on those phones without an active phone number. We can setup iMessage (email based) on iPad and iPod Touches, so this is frustrating. I want my kids to not be full on cellular internet, but I like that they can message relatively safely friends and family with iMessage.
  - mstolpm 4y ago
    I'm using an old iPhone without a SIM card as a spare device and iMessage works on it WIFI-only. But I have to admit that initial setup of the Apple ID wasn't done on this phone. Perhaps you could setup your kids Apple IDs on another device and then use them on the old phones with iMessage as well?
  - FactolSarin 4y ago
    We use a cell service called Tello for my kids phones. For $5/mo you can get a plan with 100 minutes of voice calls, sms, and no data whatsoever. It's perfect for my kids, since I don't really want them to have mobile data anyway
    - rsync 4y ago
      Thank you! I have been looking for a cheaper, no-data SIM card to use with 2FA Mules - this is very helpful.
  - lkxijlewlf 4y ago
    I thought you could set iMessage up to use an email address. I did that before but it's been a while.
    - lotsofpulp 4y ago
      You do not need a phone number for iMessage. You can make an apple account with an email address, and use the email address as your Apple ID.
  - 4y ago
MBCook 4y ago
I wonder if they’ll launch something new to fill the gap, or if that gap is just too small for them to decide it’s worth pursuing. Or maybe they see that as belonging to the iPad mini’s purpose.
- coastflow 4y ago
  The iPad mini might be Apple's response to mostly fill the gap. The device can run phone apps without having the features of calling/texting. The tablet also has more educational value as it supports handwriting and drawing, though it comes at the cost of not being pocket-size (adding inconvenience for users who just want to listen to music).
  - wlesieutre 4y ago
    The regular "iPad" is more similar. Low priced model that lags behind the design and power of the flagship models. Starts at $329 vs $500 if you don't mind the big bezels, lightning port, and A13 processor with 3GB RAM. Mini has the small bezels, USB-C port, supports the magnetically charged stylus, and has an A15 with 4 GB RAM, so it's priced more in line with the iPad Air even though it's the small one. I used to have an iPad Mini, I think 3? Whichever model was before it got Touch ID. Back then it was a smaller and cheaper version of the normal iPad, more recently it's moved to the middle of the line (but below the "Pro" versions).
    - skinnymuch 4y ago
      I just realized the iPad mini I still use doesn’t have Touch ID. I have an iPad mini 3. It’s slow on the last OS it can be on, iOS 12. I use it because a jailbreak tweak that can last.fm scrobble (tracks listening/viewing history) works on older devices like that one.
      - wlesieutre 4y ago
        Just went and checked, the Mini 2 didn't have Touch ID, the 3 added it but changed pretty much nothing else. I think what I had was a 2 purchased after the 3 came out, someplace was clearing them out for around $150 off even though it was practically the same device except it took half a second longer to unlock. Pretty good deal, eventually got demoted to kitchen recipe screen.
daptaq 4y ago
Why would you even what that? I get the opposite (phone without internet), but this has all the downsides for the development of a child without the advantage of a child being able to contact their parents or vice versa?
- protomyth 4y ago
  The iPod touch cannot call 911. The iPod touch doesn't require me to have a phone contract. Not every kid needs a phone, but having an iPod touch keeps the kid from getting bullied by the "Blue Message" crowd.
  - lotsofpulp 4y ago
    iPhones do not require a phone contract either. iPod touches also sent iMessages, since all you need is an Apple ID. https://support.apple.com/guide/ipod-touch/set-up-messages-iph3d039b67/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/ipod-touch/set-up-messages-i...
    - protomyth 4y ago
      iPod touches also sent iMessages, since all you need is an Apple ID. That's why I said "having an iPod touch keeps the kid from getting bullied by the "Blue Message" crowd" - It was the device you could buy a kid and not worry about the green messages. iPhones without phone contracts can still call 911.
      - lotsofpulp 4y ago
        Sorry, I read that incorrectly.
      - skinnymuch 4y ago
        If jailbreaking will continue working on iOS 15, then people can do that and nuke the phone app from iPhones to prevent the 911 issue.
  - cactus2093 4y ago
clairity 4y ago
from apple's vantage point, the watch (with airpods) is meant to fill this niche (more lucratively for them). apple even went against its own one-user-one-device edict to allow one iphone to control multiple watches to support this positioning. edit: i should add that this is also one of the reasons apple has the "voice only" music subscription.
- belazeebub 4y ago
  The watch most definitely does not fill this niche as most parents bought the iPod touch partly (mostly?) for its gaming abilities.
Vladimof 4y ago
With Comcast/Xfinity Mobile, you can get them a free phone, usually, if they can agree not to use data...

That's a damned shame, the iPod Touch was a great way to give kids a "phone" without giving them a real phone.

foogazi 4y ago

What about an iPhone without a sim card ? camera will be way better anyway

izzydata 4y ago
That seems far more expensive than an iPod.
- mrpippy 4y ago
  An older (or new with discounts) iPhone SE isn't much more
- skinnymuch 4y ago
  iPhone SE 2nd generation (from early 2020) will be pretty cheap nowadays with the 3rd gen out. Probably still a bit pricier than an iPod Touch, but Apple went long periods of time without updating the Touch. While not reducing the price. Though it won’t be possible to get new iPhone SE 2nd gen for long. At that point, a refurbished or used 11 or XR or SE 2nd gen will not be too much. The latter two should be cheaper than a new iPod Touch.
- Gigachad 4y ago
  These days parents hand down their phone to their kids so its basically free from that perspective. The height of the iPod Touch was the time when parents were only just getting their first smartphone.

windowsrookie 4y ago

It's essentially an iPhone 7 without a SIM. Just buy one of those. I'm assuming it would cost less than a new iPod touch and it prevents old iPhones from becoming e-waste.

nytesky 4y ago
We have a bunch of old iPhones for kids, but we can’t setup iMessage on those phones without an active phone number. We can setup iMessage (email based) on iPad and iPod Touches, so this is frustrating. I want my kids to not be full on cellular internet, but I like that they can message relatively safely friends and family with iMessage.
- mstolpm 4y ago
  I'm using an old iPhone without a SIM card as a spare device and iMessage works on it WIFI-only. But I have to admit that initial setup of the Apple ID wasn't done on this phone. Perhaps you could setup your kids Apple IDs on another device and then use them on the old phones with iMessage as well?
- FactolSarin 4y ago
  We use a cell service called Tello for my kids phones. For $5/mo you can get a plan with 100 minutes of voice calls, sms, and no data whatsoever. It's perfect for my kids, since I don't really want them to have mobile data anyway
  - rsync 4y ago
    Thank you! I have been looking for a cheaper, no-data SIM card to use with 2FA Mules - this is very helpful.
- lkxijlewlf 4y ago
  I thought you could set iMessage up to use an email address. I did that before but it's been a while.
  - lotsofpulp 4y ago
    You do not need a phone number for iMessage. You can make an apple account with an email address, and use the email address as your Apple ID.
- 4y ago

MBCook 4y ago

I wonder if they’ll launch something new to fill the gap, or if that gap is just too small for them to decide it’s worth pursuing. Or maybe they see that as belonging to the iPad mini’s purpose.

coastflow 4y ago
The iPad mini might be Apple's response to mostly fill the gap. The device can run phone apps without having the features of calling/texting. The tablet also has more educational value as it supports handwriting and drawing, though it comes at the cost of not being pocket-size (adding inconvenience for users who just want to listen to music).
- wlesieutre 4y ago
  The regular "iPad" is more similar. Low priced model that lags behind the design and power of the flagship models. Starts at $329 vs $500 if you don't mind the big bezels, lightning port, and A13 processor with 3GB RAM. Mini has the small bezels, USB-C port, supports the magnetically charged stylus, and has an A15 with 4 GB RAM, so it's priced more in line with the iPad Air even though it's the small one. I used to have an iPad Mini, I think 3? Whichever model was before it got Touch ID. Back then it was a smaller and cheaper version of the normal iPad, more recently it's moved to the middle of the line (but below the "Pro" versions).
  - skinnymuch 4y ago
    I just realized the iPad mini I still use doesn’t have Touch ID. I have an iPad mini 3. It’s slow on the last OS it can be on, iOS 12. I use it because a jailbreak tweak that can last.fm scrobble (tracks listening/viewing history) works on older devices like that one.
    - wlesieutre 4y ago
      Just went and checked, the Mini 2 didn't have Touch ID, the 3 added it but changed pretty much nothing else. I think what I had was a 2 purchased after the 3 came out, someplace was clearing them out for around $150 off even though it was practically the same device except it took half a second longer to unlock. Pretty good deal, eventually got demoted to kitchen recipe screen.

daptaq 4y ago

Why would you even what that? I get the opposite (phone without internet), but this has all the downsides for the development of a child without the advantage of a child being able to contact their parents or vice versa?

protomyth 4y ago
The iPod touch cannot call 911. The iPod touch doesn't require me to have a phone contract. Not every kid needs a phone, but having an iPod touch keeps the kid from getting bullied by the "Blue Message" crowd.
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  iPhones do not require a phone contract either. iPod touches also sent iMessages, since all you need is an Apple ID. https://support.apple.com/guide/ipod-touch/set-up-messages-iph3d039b67/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/ipod-touch/set-up-messages-i...
  - protomyth 4y ago
    iPod touches also sent iMessages, since all you need is an Apple ID. That's why I said "having an iPod touch keeps the kid from getting bullied by the "Blue Message" crowd" - It was the device you could buy a kid and not worry about the green messages. iPhones without phone contracts can still call 911.
    - lotsofpulp 4y ago
      Sorry, I read that incorrectly.
    - skinnymuch 4y ago
      If jailbreaking will continue working on iOS 15, then people can do that and nuke the phone app from iPhones to prevent the 911 issue.
- cactus2093 4y ago

clairity 4y ago

from apple's vantage point, the watch (with airpods) is meant to fill this niche (more lucratively for them). apple even went against its own one-user-one-device edict to allow one iphone to control multiple watches to support this positioning. edit: i should add that this is also one of the reasons apple has the "voice only" music subscription.

belazeebub 4y ago
The watch most definitely does not fill this niche as most parents bought the iPod touch partly (mostly?) for its gaming abilities.

Vladimof 4y ago

With Comcast/Xfinity Mobile, you can get them a free phone, usually, if they can agree not to use data...