After two years of maintaining the same aesthetic design, Apple has given the iPod touch a much deserved overhaul. As rumored last week, Apple has redesigned the iPod touch to feature a larger 4-inch Retina display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, the same used in the new iPhone 5. Announced alongside the new iPod nano, the new iPod touch is just 6.1mm thin and weighs only 88 grams, the lightest and thinnest yet. While the previous generation missed out on processor tweaks, Apple has dropped the A5 processor into the new version. Apple has also made a significant battery improvements, allowing users to get up to 40 hours of use when listening to music. The rear-facing iSight camera has been upgraded to 5-megapixels with an LED flash, backside illumination, and more, while the front-facing FaceTime camera now shoots 720p video. Apple has also designed a hook into the chassis to support lanyards, including their own solution, which they call the Loop. For networking, Apple has included Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n, and support for AirPlay mirroring. Apple has also brought Siri to the iPod touch, the voice assistant software introduced with the iPhone 4S.

The iPod touch will ship with iOS 6 and come bundled with Apple's new EarPods. While the previous iteration was only available in white or black, the new iPod touch will come in variety of colors, including pink, yellow, blue, white, silver, black, and slate. The new iPod touch will be available this October in 32GB and 64GB variations for $299 and $399, respectively. Pre-orders will begin on September 14th. Apple will continue offering last year's model with 16GB for $199 and 32GB for $249.