Apple Discontinues Final iPod After 2 Decades of the Portable Media Players
Apple this week discontinued the final remaining style of the iPod, the 7th generation iPod Touch. The discontinuation brings to a close over 20 years of the iPod, the zeitgeist-defining series of portable media players that launched with the very first iPod in 2001.
The move completes Apple's shuttering of the iPod brand that began with the discontinuation of the iPod Classic in 2014. iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle were subsequently dropped in 2017, according to Engadget. The iPod Touch hasn't been updated since 2019, and not thoroughly, regarding its interface, since 2012.
In Tuesday's (May 10) announcement revealing that Apple had discontinued the iPod Touch, the tech company's senior VP of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak, presented the angle that the iPod's music functionality still remains in other Apple products.
"The spirit of iPod lives on," he said. "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."
The iPod Touch is unique among iPod products. Unlike the classic iPod with the scroll wheel, the Touch is closer to a smartphone, though it can't connect to cellular. But it can be used as a music player, gaming device, camera, web browser and for messaging.
Remaining stock of the iPod Touch is available while supplies last. They can be purchased on apple.com, at the Apple Store or through Apple Authorized Resellers, where available.
From Apple:
Since its introduction over 20 years ago, iPod has captivated users all over the world who love the ability to take their music with them on the go. Today, the experience of taking one's music library out into the world has been integrated across Apple's product line — from iPhone and Apple Watch to iPad and Mac — along with access to more than 90 million songs and over 30,000 playlists available via Apple Music.
Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry — it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to and shared,' said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. '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.'
Among the incredible ways to enjoy music across a range of devices, including a wide variety of models from the new iPhone SE to the latest iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone is the best device for streaming Apple Music or storing an entire music library on the go. Apple Watch and AirPods are the perfect companion, allowing users to access over 90 million songs right from their wrist.