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Does it still make sense to buy an iPod Touch?

Refurbs are going like hotcakes, but who's buying them?

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
Apple

This post started out as an iPod Touch deal: Walmart had the refurbished fifth-gen Touch (32GB) for $179, the lowest price I've seen for that model and a whopping $120 less Apple charges for a new one.

Alas, it sold out before I finished the third paragraph. Which is okay, because I wanted to have a discussion about the product anyway: Does the iPod Touch still have a place in the world?

Because, think about it, it's really the only remaining product of its kind (not that it ever had a lot of competition). Put simply, it's an iPhone without the phone, a fully app-capable entertainment wafer without the pesky monthly service charge.

Ah, but who's the target market these days? Most adults and teens have (or want) smartphones. That leaves younger kids, but in most cases a tablet makes more sense for ages 2 to 12.

It certainly makes more financial sense. Today, for example, Staples has the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD (8GB) for $124 shipped (plus tax), and you get a $25 Staples gift card by mail. Sure, it lacks cameras and doesn't fit in your pocket, but it offers a much larger screen, parental controls, and other kid-friendly benefits.

Now, you might argue that Walmart's rapid sellout of the Touch proves it remains a highly desirable product, though I suspect the rock-bottom price was the key driver there. (Apple's own iPod Touch refurbs go for $219.) Deals on Apple products don't come around often, and people tend to snap them up when they do.

That said, what's your take on the iPod Touch? Who's buying them, and why? Given the brisk sales of the iPad Mini, is there a chance Apple might discontinue the Touch? And would anybody care?

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Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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