Apple’s rumoured AV iPod could be delayed until next year – which might signal upgraded nanos and 5G iPods appearing in the meantime.

It seems that Apple may not be as close to launching its touchscreen AV iPod as many had hoped. In fact, we may not see this long-awaited video-centric widescreen model until next year.

This speculation has arisen after a spokesman for PortalPlayer, a chip-maker for previous generations of the iPod, mentioned that the chip for the next version of the iconic gadget has yet to be decided and remains “up for grabs”. Presumably, picking the chip would be among the first things Apple would do when designing a new model iPod. Previously, it was thought that the development had been set back only slightly by problems with the touchscreen and that the new iPod would be out before the end of the year.

If it’s true that the AV iPod won’t touch down until 2007, it suggests that Apple will launch updated models of current iPods in the meantime – there’s the lucrative run up to Christmas to consider, after all. That could mean an 80GB 5th generation iPod, 8GB capacity nanos, or even the addition of a new feature like Bluetooth, which would open up the possibility of wireless headphones.

http://technology.virgin.net/whatshot/may_2006/no_touchscreen_ipod_till_2007
As always, we’ll keep you informed of any new developments.