After 20 long years, Apple officially discontinued the iPod in 2022. Nearly a year since the announcement, you'll be hard-pressed to find an iPod touch, iPod shuffle or iPod nano on store shelves.
And we know what you're thinking: who cares about the iPod nowadays?
But this groundbreaking piece of technology had a huge impact on the world of music as we know it.
So, let's do a deep dive into the world of the iPod and why it was worth every penny we ever spent on it.
Why did Apple discontinue the iPod?
Apple iPods.
Apple decided to discontinue the iPod as online music streaming on smartphones started to gain traction in the last few years.
When did iPods come out?
Apple iPod.
Released in 2001, Apple's iPod brings back that tangible feeling we miss from older technologies.
At that time, it was singular among other portable audio devices, such as CD players and Walkmans.
The iPod changed the game. With its promise of a thousand songs in your pocket, it outshined everything else in the market.
Why do people love iPods?
Apple iPod.
The fact that devices like the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle were explicitly built for music, allowed you to immerse yourself in your favourite tracks without distractions.
Sure, streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify have given us unlimited access to any song, album, or artist we want but the iPod arguably kept us on task and in the moment, since it was built primarily to listen to music.
Are iPods still available?
You can still find classic models online at Amazon and Kijiji and relive the iPod listening experience.
So, although iPod's official end may have come, its legacy lives on.
This article is part of Narcity Media's Technality series. Subscribe to Technality on YouTube for all things related to the future, tech and humanity.
