Apple to Stop Production of the iPod after 21 Years

Apple Inc. has announced that it will stop manufacturing its music player, the iPod Touch, marking the end of an era in music technology.

According to BBC News, the iPod which was launched in 2001, had the capacity to store up to 1,000 tracks. However, at present, users can access over 90 million songs on Apple’s streaming service.

Apple has had various iPod models over the years including the Nano and the Shuffle, with the iPod Touch to be the final one to be discontinued having previously been updated last in 2019.

The iPod, which was first introduced by then-CEO Steve Jobs, established an epoch in music that drew in a number of notable figures who collaborated with Apple to promote the device including Oprah Winfrey, John Mayer, and U2. Prominent automaker BMW also pioneered the launch of the very first in-built car entertainment system comprising the iPod, with many carmakers following suit.

Despite the nostalgia surrounding the discontinuation of the music player, experts acknowledged the inevitability of Apple’s iPhone eventually superseding the iPod.

Creative Strategies’ Carolina Milanesi said, "The demise of the iPod is probably the best example of Apple not being concerned about cannibalising its own products."

©Photo: Apple