Apple ends the iPod era after 20 years of its arrival

Apple reports in a official statement that it stops manufacturing and marketing the iPod Touch, the brand’s iconic device that from its inception was created as a portable music player and that has evolved for more than 20 years until the current era.

Overshadowed by the arrival of iPhone and its much more multitasking facet, it has remained an alternative to the phone since 2007, which is a great achievement considering that the iPhone offers many more functions for a slightly higher price, with the extra of calls.

But there is no doubt that the iPod managed to lay the foundations of what we know today as the Apple ecosystem, a product that relies heavily on Mac computers and iTunes Music to guarantee its proper functioning.

With the iPod as a product prior to the arrival of the iPhone, Apple managed to sow among users the need to connect the brand’s devices in order to have satisfactory user experiences, and in some way, gain customer loyalty.

Although the company mentions that the current model presented in 2019 will remain on sale in its stores and official channels while supplies last, there will be no new developments or product evolution by Apple.

A little history

The iPod debuted in 2001, the year in which it was something new for many to see how Apple entered a totally new market for the company that went beyond the manufacture of its traditional Mac and iMac equipment.

Compared to the traditional MP3 music players that were beginning to emerge, it had a fairly high selling price of $399. Far from what many might think, it succeeded in a short period of time and managed to lay the foundations for the ecosystem of Apple products that we know today.

original ipod first generation

The store iTunes Music Store was key to its success, establishing itself as a music playback platform from which to download music or access it on streaming with a closed ecosystem format.

Coinciding with the arrival of the first iPhone, Apple also launched the first iPod touch that same month of September, the first model with a touch screen that generation after generation has followed its evolution until the current model.

Obviously, from Apple they confirm that there is no longer any reason to acquire a dedicated music player, although the iPod touch has long since inherited the essence of the iPhone with the iOS operating system, except for the possibility of having a data connection to make calls .

The iPod touch in 2022

If we look beyond the success achieved by what hardware has given of itself over these 20 years, we see that what has been achieved with the iTunes music library (currently Apple Music) must also be attributed to it, now being integrated into the entire Apple’s product line, from the iPhone to the Apple Watchgoing through the iPad and the Mac.

Currently, anyone who wants to buy an iPod touch will not be able to do so through the product categories that Apple has on its website. Nor will you see them among the products displayed in their stores.

In fact, to locate it in the AppleStore, you will have to do a product search, for which you will receive a response of the current offer. At €239 for the 32GB model (available in 6 different finishes), it’s the cheapest iOS product you can buy.

The current generation of ipod touch It has an A10 processor inside, the same one that prevails in the Genuine iPhone SE, but without cellular connectivity. For the rest, it maintains its 4-inch Retina display and 8 MP camera.

Already in 2020 we wondered if it was really worth it buy an iPod based on which were your needs. As we made clear in the article, it seems that both the iPhone and the iPad are a good alternative to the iPod touch for all the extras you get in return.

Unlike Sony, which has decided to continue evolving its emblematic digital players Walkman and provide them with high resolution audio and native DSD, with a professional product approach, Apple definitively discontinues its iPod touch.

Take a look at the article on the best music services in streaming which you can access today from any mobile device with Internet access, be it a mobile phone, tablets or computer.

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