May 11, 2022 | 1:05 p.m.
Apple warned that it will stop producing the iPodits famous music player that revolutionized the music industry in the early 2000s, in favor of its other flagship products, such as the iPhone.
The company of Tim Cook announced Tuesday that it would discontinue the iPod Touchthe 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 while supplies last.
Apple released dozens of versions of the iPod over the years, but the product was gradually overshadowed by your other devices, especially the iPhoneprompting the company to begin phasing out models in 2014.
At that time, the technology stopped manufacturing the iPod classic, a version with a click wheel and a small screen that was more similar to the original version. By 2017, Apple stopped making its smallest music players, the iPod Nano and the iPod Shuffle.
The iPod Touch, popular as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone, stuck around for a few more years. The device was last updated in 2019 and cost $199, still cheaper than the cheapest iPhone in Apple’s portfolio: the SEwhich costs $429.
However, with so many other ways to get music, Apple no longer considers the product to be necessary.
We’ve built an amazing music experience into all of our products, from iPhone to Apple Watch and HomePod mini, to Mac, iPad and Apple TV.
said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.
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iPod laid the groundwork for the development of the iPhone
Presented by Steve Jobs, the iPod was credited with helping turn Apple from a near-bankrupt company to an eventual $3 billion behemoth; In addition, the iPod laid the foundation for the development of the iPhone, iPad, and AirPods, products that now account for the majority of apple revenue.
Rectangular, white, the iPod went on sale more than 20 years in 2001and quickly reaped an important success.
This mp3 player and the program iTunesalso from 2001, profoundly changed the world of music by popularizing the legal dischargeat a time when many sites allowed to retrieve movies and songs without paying a penny.
Since its launch, Apple has sold 450 million iPods according to the specialized company Loup Ventures, quoted by the New York Times.
Keep reading: Apple beats sales estimates with increases in iPhones
With information from Bloomberg and AFP