Apple discontinues iPod after 21 years: Tracing the magical journey
What's the story
Over two decades and countless songs later, Apple has decided to discontinue its celebrated iPod line-up. The iPod Touch, the last in the line of the media players, will be sold "while supplies last."
The original iPod was launched back in 2001, while the current iPod Touch was introduced in 2019.
Apple said that the "spirit of iPod lives on" through other Apple devices.
Context
Why does this story matter?
iPod was not the beginning of portable music players, but it certainly made sure that music players did not go unnoticed.
Apple's decision to pull the plug on the iPod Touch marks the end of an era. Yes, the writing has been on the wall for a while, but it still is a surprise.
As another icon falls, we say, 'rest in peace.'
History
iPod was the first device from Apple outside Macintosh ecosystem
Apple launched the first iPod in 2001. It was the first device from the Cupertino-based company outside the Macintosh ecosystem.
After the classic iPod, Apple introduced the iPod Mini and then an even smaller iPod Nano. In 2005, the iconic iPod Shuffle made its debut.
The first iPod Touch saw light in 2007, months after the first iPhone.
Reasons
iPhone's evolution has played a part in iPod's eventual demise
New and advanced devices almost always lead to the downfall of their predecessors. Similarly, an ever-evolving iPhone has played a role in the eventual demise of the iPod.
The sale of the device has seen a declining trend that the company stopped reporting it in 2015.
Also, Apple's little to no interest in updating the music player did not help its cause.
Quotes
Without the iPod, iPhone wouldn't have happened: Creator of iPod
Tony Fadell, credited with inventing the iPod said, "If we didn't do the iPod, the iPhone wouldn't have come out."
About the threat from iPhones, he said, "It became very clear to us that there was a real threat from mobile phones, feature phones. They were starting to add music, MP3 playing, to the cell phones that they were shipping at the time."
iPod Touch
Latest iPhone Touch is powered by an A10 Fusion chip
The current 7th-generation iPod Touch came out in 2019. The company had introduced it via a press release.
Design-wise, it does not look any different from the 6th-generation version. The music player bears a 4.0-inch Retina touchscreen display and is powered by an A10 Fusion chip. It has up to 256GB of storage.
In India, it starts at Rs. 19,600.