Apple is discontinuing the iPod after 21 years of distribution. First launched in 2001, the device has largely been credited for changing the way consumers listened to and shared music, ushering in the era of digital sales and eventually, the streaming age.
In 2007, Apple launched the iPod Touch, a device designed by the same team responsible for the iPhone. This model quickly overtook other iPod models, such as the Nano and Shuffle. Integrated with Apple’s streaming service, Apple Music, the iPod Touch gave users access to the 90 million songs available in Apple Music’s library. When first launched, the iPod was capable of storing no more than 1000 tracks.
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of woldwide marketing, said in a statement: “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.”
The iPod will still be available to purchase while stocks last.
