Apple Officially Discontinues iPod Production

Apple is the most valuable company in the world, the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales, and the second-largest manufacturer of mobile phones. Along with Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, it is one of the Big Five American information technology companies. Apple just announced the discontinuation of their last iPod.

According to Engadget, Apple has just announced the discontinuation of one of the most important product lines in its history. The iPod touch has been discontinued, and will only be sold in stores “while supplies last.” Not surprisingly, the company said that the “spirit of the iPod” lives on in other devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

The move has long been anticipated. The iPod touch was last updated by Apple in 2019, and it was just to provide a faster processor in a design that hadn’t changed significantly since 2012. For a long time, the iPod had played a minor part in Apple’s product strategy, and it had become a niche product geared at children and individuals who didn’t want to use their phones for remote controls or workouts.

Even yet, it’s a sad moment that marks the end of a crucial 20-year chapter in Apple’s history. The first iPod was released in October 2001, at a period when the firm was heavily reliant on computers and was experiencing financial difficulties. While the Mac requirement reduced interest for the first couple of years, sales soared as Windows users joined the battle. 

Apple found the formula for an easy-to-use MP3 player and did a terrific job of selling that notion to buyers. The iPod effectively established Apple as the general consumer electronics giant that it is today. It swiftly dominated the MP3 player industry, with iPods accounting for 40% of its revenue by 2006. After years of being thrown off as a dying brand, Apple not only turned its fortunes around but also became a household name.

The iPod’s popularity aided the much-anticipated 2007 introduction of the iPhone. People were yearning for the “iPod phone,” and in its early days, the iPhone’s media capabilities were perhaps its biggest selling point. Of course, the iPhone contributed to the iPod’s demise. By the early 2010s, many consumers just required one device in their pocket, the smartphone, and iPod sales were in freefall.

Nonetheless, the iPod’s legacy lives on. It is the item that gave Apple a second chance and established the groundwork for a modern era in which digital media devices are almost ubiquitous. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Thirsty.

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