Apple did some quiet shuffling in its online store this morning, yanking its fourth generation 16GB iPod touch and replacing it a new fifth generation model. This new 16GB iPod touch is now available with a Black & Silver paint job and a price tag of $229, which is $70 less than the 32GB fifth generation iPod touch that's been available since late 2012. In exchange for the lower price tag, the 16GB iPod touch has lost its rear-facing camera and loop lanyard hook.

While this new 16GB iPod touch may not feature a rear camera or lanyard loop, the rest of its spec list remains similar to the existing fifth generation iPod touch. That includes a 4-inch 1136x640 Retina display, dual-core A5 processor, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera and Lightning connector. All of that is crammed into a body that measures 6.1mm thick.

Apple has included rear-facing cameras in the past couple of iPod touch generations, and so it's kind of strange to see the company introduce a new model that's missing a shooter on its backside. The fact that there's still a front-facing camera on this new 16GB model means that buyers will still be able to snap some photos, though, and the larger screen and slimmer profile of this fifth generation iPod touch may help to offset the loss of the fourth generation version and its rear shooter.

The new 16GB iPod touch can be purchased right now from Apple's online store, and shipments are expected to go out within 24 hours. The device is slated to hit Apple retail stores on May 31.

UPDATE: Apple has revealed to The Loop that it's now sold over 100 million units of the iPod touch since the original model debuted in 2007.

Via The Verge, Apple, The Loop