Aurich Lawson
Some of the in style and iconic gadget manufacturers in historical past is taking its final breath right this moment. Apple introduced that it’s going to not make the iPod contact, the final machine to hold the iPod identify.
Apple says you will solely be capable to purchase the $199 iPod contact from its shops till the present inventory sells out. There’s nonetheless a retailer web page for the iPod on Apple’s web site, nevertheless it’s not simply discoverable in the primary web site navigation, and it carries a “whereas provides final” marker.
The present iPod contact mannequin is not truly all that previous—it debuted in 2019—however that was only a minor refresh, and Apple hasn’t launched a completely new iPod mannequin in a few years.
The iPod’s demise has been predicted for a very long time, nevertheless it has held on, thanks partly to its function as an iPhone-lite for teenagers and tweens. Apple’s press launch saying the discontinuation makes the case that the iPod “lives on” in different merchandise just like the iPhone and iPad. Here is a quote attributed to Apple advertising and marketing SVP Greg Joswiak:
Music has at all times been a part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to a whole lot of thousands and thousands of customers in the best way iPod did impacted extra than simply the music {industry}—it additionally redefined how music is found, listened to, and shared. Immediately, the spirit of iPod lives on. We’ve built-in an unbelievable music expertise throughout all of our merchandise, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and throughout Mac, iPad, and Apple TV. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound high quality with help for spatial audio—there’s no higher method to get pleasure from, uncover, and expertise music.
The press launch goes on to listing lots of the merchandise that customers who may be within the iPod might purchase as an alternative, just like the iPhone SE.
The primary iPod was launched in 2001, and the product line included many variations through the years, together with the Mini, Shuffle, Nano, and extra. The mannequin being discontinued now, the iPod contact, was first seen in 2007. It’s the seventh iteration of the iPod contact, which (in distinction to prior iPods) intently resembles an iPhone, simply with no mobile calling performance.
The iPod was one of many world’s best-selling devices, however the writing was on the wall when smartphones—even ones earlier than the introduction of the iPhone—started to incorporate its most essential options by default.
Ars Technica might earn compensation for gross sales from hyperlinks on this put up by affiliate applications.
