Apple To Discontinue iPod After More Than 20 Years

Apple has announced that the iPod is set to be discontinued after more than 20 years on the market.

It was the device that started the Apple revolution, as well as changing the way that people listened to music forever, but now as it’s been rendered largely obsolete by the rise of the smartphone, the iPod is set to gracefully ride off into the sunset.

Of course, we can all listen to music on our smart devices, speakers, TVs, and basically anything these days, but back at the dawn of the iPod things were all a lot different.

If you wanted to listen to music back in the distant past – 2001, for those old enough to remember – you’d have to buy a physical copy, flick on the radio, or wreck your family computer downloading music from the internet.

Alamy

Then came the iPod, allowing users to buy music at reasonable prices online without destroying the house PC, with the added benefit of being able to listen to – let’s say – Linkin Park and Jay-Z’s ‘Numb’ on the go.

It was a bit of a punt at the time for Apple, but it went on to become one of the 21st century's great early innovations, and catapulted Apple into the stratosphere.

Few could have predicted at the time that the small white boxes stuffed with as much music as an entire record collection would become the cornerstone for an empire that would conquer the technology world and change how people consume media irrevocably.

Even though no more iPods will be made, there will still be some available if anyone wants to snap one up.

The latest iPod Touch will still be available, but once they’re gone – that’ll be it.

Alamy

A statement from Apple said: “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.”

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said: “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."

Alamy

“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.”

If you still want to get hold of one of the world’s last iPods, they’re available on the Apple website, Apple Store locations, and Apple Authorised Resellers.

Remember though, once they’re gone, they’re gone.

If you've got an old iPod knocking around the house, now is probably the time to start looking for it.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]