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Report: iPod refresh coming sooner than expected

A new rumor says Apple is holding its annual iPod refresh event a little earlier than usual this year--possibly as soon as in a week and a half.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn
2 min read
Jobs in front of iPod Nanos.
Apple's CEO Steve Jobs unveils the new iPod Nano at last year's event. Stephen Shankland/CNET

A report from Brazilian news site MacMagazine says Apple's annual refresh of its iPod line is little more than a week away.

Citing "a reliable source within Apple," MacMagazine pegs the unveiling of the next-generation iPods between August 14-16, the first two days of which are a Saturday and a Sunday, leaving Monday the 16th as a more likely candidate.

For the last four years, Apple has held its iPod press events in early September, and is widely expected to follow suit this year. In the past, the company released new iPod models on an annual basis as early as March or April, and as late as October--as it did in 2005 with the introduction of the iPod Video.

Rumored details of the next-generation iPod Touch have been trickling in over the past few weeks. The latest reports have pointed to the addition of a gyroscope, a so-called retina display, and both a front- and back-facing camera to facilitate the company's FaceTime video chat feature. All of these upgrades were made to this year's iPhone as well.

Besides updates to the iPod Touch, rumors posted on site iLounge earlier this week made mention of a touch-screen display redesign for the iPod Shuffle, and a refreshed iPod Nano. iLounge also says that a 7-inch display version of the iPad is in development but that its release is likely to be "later this year." While Apple may choose to keep its event focused on just the iPod, it did promise a version of its shared iOS with multitasking coming to the iPad sometime "this fall."

(Via AppleInsider)