Before releasing the iPod Touch 3rd generation in 2009 Apple shared details about a prototype of that model that had a rear camera. However, the final product did not have the rear camera in it. However, the photos of the unreleased prototype have been shown online by Giulio Zompetti, who is an Apple prototype collector.
Giulio Zompetti collects prototypes of the Apple products. Earlier today he shared some photos of the 3rd generation iPod Touch with the rear camera. It gives a clear look at what apple tested but did not include in the final release. He shared these photos in a tweet, which said:
It was believed that Apple did not include the rear camera in the design. The next year, on May 10, 2010, a video of the third-generation iPod Touch was spotted. Also, this year in April 2020 a few prototypes with a rear camera were spotted on eBay. The launch of Third Generation iPod Touch did not see the rear camera, but the fourth generation had a rear and also a front-facing camera.