Apple will continue to release new iPods, it has been revealed, regardless of the rise in ownership of smartphones. And it is expected to announce some newly coloured models soon, if images spotted on the new build of iTunes are anything to go by.

With the Apple Music update for iPhone and iPad, iTunes also got a refresh, with version 12.2 available to download from yesterday, 1 July. And, once installed, it contained some interesting pictures of new Apple devices.

When an iPod is plugged into the new build for the first time, 9to5Mac reports that an image pops up of an iPod touch, nano and shuffle in colours that are currently not available: dark blue, dark pink and gold. And other images found in the software show that those new colour schemes will be available across the entire range.

Whether this means that Apple will be updating the hardware itself remains to be seen. The devices all look identical to the models already available - save for the different hues - but they could have new internal shenanigans to make them run quicker - at least when it comes to the touch, anyway.

Regardless, if the images weren't inserted into the software by mistake, their existence suggests that we'll find out about Apple's new iPod range very soon.