After Two Decades, Apple is Saying Goodbye to iPods

Apple decided to say goodbye to its popular line of media players.  The company announced that it will discontinue the iPod touch and discontinue the iPod line.  Products will only be available in the market until the offer runs out.

The iPod was first launched in 2001, and began to follow in the footsteps of the Walkman.  iPods have changed the way people listen to music.  The lineup included the original iPod, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle and iPod Touch.

Greg Joswick, Apple's Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, commented in an official blog post:

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. 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.

The iPod Touch was launched in 2007, the first iPhone released the same year.  The iPod Touch basically has the same components as a standard iPhone, except for those that can make phone calls.

Since its inception, the iPod has undergone many upgrades and revisions.  The last iPod Touch model was launched in 2019, which saw a decline in sales due to the popularity of smartphones.

Although the iPod has a special place for consumers, Apple has ruthlessly shut it down and closed the door for an easy time where music could only be played on a specific device.