iPod classic “6.5 Generation” (120 GB, 2008): History and Specs
What the name refers to
"6.5 generation" is an informal name for the revised iPod classic that Apple announced on 9 September 2008. Apple sold it simply as the iPod classic and did not number the revision; some references, including Everymac, group it with the 2009 model as a seventh generation. It replaced the 80 GB and 160 GB models of September 2007 with a single 120 GB model at US$249, which Apple described as 50 per cent more capacity at the same price.
Specifications
The 120 GB model held up to 30,000 songs, 25,000 photos or 150 hours of video. It kept the 2.5-inch, 320-by-240 colour screen (163 pixels per inch), Click Wheel, dock connector and headphone jack, and measured 103.5 by 61.8 by 10.5 mm, weighing 140 g. That matched the slim 2007 80 GB model, while the 2007 160 GB version had been 13.5 mm thick and 162 g. Apple rated battery life at up to 36 hours of music or six hours of video, against 30 and five hours for the 2007 80 GB model. It came in silver or black, and the black model's faceplate changed to a grey shade. It required Mac OS X 10.4.11 or Windows XP SP3 or Vista, with iTunes 8.
What was new
The main addition was Genius, introduced with iTunes 8, which creates a playlist of songs that go well with a chosen track and could be used directly on the iPod classic. The revision also added full support for headsets with a remote and microphone. Neither feature reached the 2007 models through a firmware update. Cover Flow was not new: it had arrived with the 2007 sixth generation.
Replacement and end of the line
On 9 September 2009 a 160 GB model replaced the 120 GB version at the same US$249 price and in the same slim case, adding Genius Mixes. Apple discontinued the iPod classic on 9 September 2014, five years to the day after that final update.
Specifications
| Announced | 9 September 2008 (120 GB); 9 September 2009 (160 GB) |
|---|---|
| Launch price (US) | US$249 for both |
| Capacity | 120 GB (about 30,000 songs); 160 GB from 2009 (about 40,000 songs) |
| Display | 2.5-inch colour LCD, 320 × 240 pixels at 163 ppi |
| Battery | Up to 36 hours of music or 6 hours of video |
| Connectors | Dock connector (USB 2.0), 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Size | 103.5 × 61.8 × 10.5 mm (4.1 × 2.4 × 0.41 in) |
| Weight | 140 g (4.9 oz) |
| Colours | Silver or black |
| Works with | Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later; Windows Vista or XP (SP3); iTunes 8 (120 GB) or iTunes 9 (160 GB) |
| Model number | A1238 |
Figures from Apple's published technical specifications. Where Apple lists only inches and ounces, metric values are converted and rounded.
How to identify it
- Model number A1238, the same as the 2007 iPod classic: tell them apart by capacity.
- 120 GB means the 2008 model. A 160 GB model in the slim 10.5 mm case is the Late 2009 version.
Where to find the model number and serial number: how to identify a used iPod.