(Bloomberg) – Apple Inc.’s iPod, a revolutionary device that revolutionized the music and electronics industry more than two decades ago, no longer exists.
The company announced on Tuesday that it would discontinue production of the iPod Touch, the last remnant of a product line that first went on sale in October 2001. The touchscreen model, which launched in 2007, will remain on sale until exhausted. of supplies.
Apple has released dozens of versions of the iPod over the years, but the product has gradually been overshadowed by its other devices, especially the iPhone. This prompted the company to begin phasing out the models in 2014. At that time, the company stopped producing the iPod classic, a version with a click wheel and a small screen that was most similar to the original version. In 2017, Apple stopped producing its smallest music players, iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle.
The iPod Touch – popular as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone – lingers for several more years. The device was last updated in 2019 and costs $ 199. Compare this to the cheapest iPhone in Apple’s portfolio: SE, which costs $ 429.
But with so many other ways to make music, Apple no longer sees the product as necessary.
“We’ve integrated an amazing music experience into all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to the HomePod mini and the Mac, iPad and Apple TV,” said Greg Josviak, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing.
Introduced by Steve Jobs, the iPod was credited with helping turn Apple from a nearly bankrupt company into a potential $ 3 trillion giant. The iPod laid the groundwork for the iPhone, iPad, and AirPods, products that now make up the bulk of Apple’s revenue.
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