I think it’s more likely that the iPod Touch remains because it’s a great device to let kids abuse in place of your expensive phone. The market for dedicated audio players can’t be what it once was and audiophiles have other options.
The Sansa line at one point had (or still has) the same audio chip as the iPod (Classic), is cheaper, and is super well reviewed. I think people interested in dedicated players have moved onto that.
As for your theory, the iPod Touch doesn’t work with the Apple Watch. No GPS/Cellular/etc makes it mostly useless as a parent device for the non-LTE watches and the LTE watch has better connectivity. https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/177304/can-you-use...
The Sansa line at one point had (or still has) the same audio chip as the iPod (Classic), is cheaper, and is super well reviewed. I think people interested in dedicated players have moved onto that.
As for your theory, the iPod Touch doesn’t work with the Apple Watch. No GPS/Cellular/etc makes it mostly useless as a parent device for the non-LTE watches and the LTE watch has better connectivity. https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/177304/can-you-use...