There are new references that were found of an unreleased version of Apple’s iPod Touch, which have turned up in code strings found inside the company’s first beta of iOS 5. The discovery may raise more questions than answers though. A developer over at the ifans.com forums turned up a singular reference to an “iPod 4,2? while browsing the resources of Apple’s first iOS 5 beta distribution for the existing iPod Touch, references as “iPod 4,1.” The discovery, which was later verified by the folks over at AppleInsider , may be significant in that it suggests Apple’s plan to release an evolutionary refresh to the iPod Touch this year rather than the evolutionary one that would presumably carry an “iPod 5,1? identifier. The folks over at TUAW pointed out that the same reference to an iPod 4,2 has been lingering in iOS builds since iOS 4.3, which has been released to the public for quite some time now. The discovery could manifest as nothing more than another iPod 2,2 – an identifier for an unreleased iPod Touch discovered a couple of years back that never made it to the market. As it stands, few details have surfaced on Apple’s 2011 plans for the iPod Touch, which has historically seen refreshes during the September time-frame when Apple routinely holds a media event to usher in its latest innovations in the music and media space. To put things in perspective though, Apple has consistently introduced new iPod Touch models with internal design attributes that follow closely in the footsteps of iPhone models introduced earlier in the year. For example, the fourth generation iPod Touch unveiled last September adopted the same A4 processor and supporting components that made their debut that summer in the iPhone 4. With Apple pushing back this year’s launch of a new iPhone to the September quarter, it is possible that the company could hold off on the inclusion of its A5 chip inside the new iPod Touch, again giving the iPhone first dibs on the technology with the iPhone 5, however such a move seems unlikely. The same A5 chip already powers the company’s second generation iPad and Apple has been adamant in closing any window that could allows its competitors to encroach on its market dominance by fitting its iOS devices with the most powerful mobile and graphics processors, among other enhancements. Every time Apple performed internal upgrades to its iOS devices’ componentry, it has referenced those models with corresponding jumps in their identifiers. For example, a move to Apple’s A5 chip in the fourth-generation iPod Touch from the Samsung-manufactured ARM reference processor in the third-generation model saw its identifier jump from the iPod 3,x to iPod 4,x. Therefore, listings of a minor revision to the iPod Touch’s identifier in early iOS 5 builds (iPod 4,2) could indicate that Apple plans a more modest upgrade to the players this year alongside the A5-equipped iPhone. The reference may be a little more than a leftover though, with all the references to an iPod 5,1 intentionally omitted from software builds that enter into broad developer distribution. Earlier this month, references to a pair of third-generation iPads (iPad 3,1 and iPad 3,2) turned up in similar distributions of iOS 5, suggesting Apple plans to introduce the next generation of its tablet devices in only two versions: a Wi-Fi version and world 3G version capable of running on both CDMA and GSM networks. As usual, stay tuned for more news and info on the topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or subscribing to our RSS feed. Authors: