For the first time in four years, Apple has announced updates to its iPod Touch devices. The hardware-refreshed gadgets, which are basically like iPhones without cellular connections, are seen as a way into the Apple universe.

• “It is their entry-priced device to get into the iOS ecosystem,” said Angelo Zino, CFRA Research analyst

• Apple sees the updated iPod Touch as a device for its Apple Arcade games subscription service, which has yet to launch

• Apple is upgrading the specs to make graphics-heavy games run better, “giving them a competitive angle on companies like Nintendo with the Switch and the 3DS family of portable game consoles,” said Steve Koenig of the Consumer Technology Association

• The iPod Touch starts at $199