Apple Has Officially Killed the iPod

On Tuesday, Apple announced that the company will be ending their line of iPods, which was first introduced in October 2001.

RIP to the beloved iPod. On Tuesday, Apple announced in a public statement that the company is shuttering their line of iPods, ending with the seventh-generation Touch which was introduced in 2019. Since beginning the line with the first iPod in October 2001 – able to carry 1,000 songs and a 10-hour battery within its 6.5-ounce design – Apple has since released the iPod mini in February 2004, the Nano first generation in September 2005, and the Touch in September 2007.

“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,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing about the discontinuation of iPods. “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.”

While the iPod is now defunct, Apple enthusiasts can still enjoy their favorite music on other devices from the current iPhone SE to the latest iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple Watch, the iPad, HomePod mini with many devices able to be paired with AirPods.