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Goodbye, iPod touch wrist strap

Goodbye, iPod touch wrist strap

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Your time with us was short, colorful, and confusing

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By all means, the 2012 iPod touch was a nice iPod. Even today, it's thinner and lighter than the newest iPhone, it feels sturdy, and it comes in some vibrant colors. But the 2012 iPod touch had one truly questionable design decision: the loop.

The "loop" — Apple terminology for "wristband" — came with every iPod touch and attached to a strange little nub that could pop in and out of the iPod's body.

ipod touch loop

You can watch Apple explain the loop in the video below, which features one of the most apathetic keynote performances it's ever given.

Does this guy care about the loop? I don't get the impression he does.

Apple said the loop was made "for that added security when you're taking pictures or just walking around town." Maybe Apple was thinking that it'd be great for kids, or maybe Apple was thinking that we were all too clumsy to hold the iPod touch's body because it's just so thin. Did anyone actually use the loop? Our review of the 2012 iPod touch included around 70 words on the strap, ending with: "I promptly forgot it existed." Seemingly, so did Apple. It eventually stopped including the loop with 16GB models of the touch, which means most buyers probably didn't end up with one.

It's been nearly three years, and Apple is finally putting an end to this puzzling misstep. With a refresh to the iPod touch today, both the nub and the loop are gone. And yes, it's as beautiful as we dreamed. The iPod touch now features two bottom corners of uninterrupted aluminum. Stunning.