Apple drops iconic device

The iPod Touch is still available for purchase as long as supplies last, but no new models will be produced in the future, as the company’s other products have replaced the iconic device, Apple announced on Tuesday.

For over two decades, the iPod has dominated the portable audio market. The original version of the iPod with a click wheel and small screen was introduced by now-deceased Apple founder Steve Jobs in 2001. “With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again,” the CEO said at the time.

Capable of holding 1,000 CD-quality songs, the first iPod revolutionized the music industry in two major ways. For one thing, it allowed music lovers to carry their favorite albums with them at all times in their pocket. The iPod also introduced the concept of ‘shuffle’ to its users, allowing them to listen to songs at random instead of having to choose.

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The device turned Apple from a nearly-bankrupt company into the world’s most valuable tech giant. It also paved the way for Apple’s flagship product – the iPhone. “If we didn’t do the iPod, the iPhone wouldn’t have come out,” iPod creator Tony Fadell said. “It brought Steve [Jobs] confidence that we could do something outside of the map and that we could actually continue to innovate in new areas.”

But, as all modern Apple devices already possess a built-in music player, the iPod has been eclipsed by other products, primarily the iPhone. In 2014, the company ended production of the classic iPod. In 2017, Apple stopped making its smallest music players, the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle.

The world saw the last update of the iPod Touch, which has a big screen and serves as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone, in 2019. And today, as the iPhone has become Apple’s best-selling product, the company sees no more use in producing new iPods.

“Today, the spirit of iPod lives on. We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio – there’s no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music,” Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said.