After more than 20 years, Apple said goodbye to iPod. She has indeed production of the devices stopped as simple as they are innovative that, two decades ago, they have changed the way people listen to music and led to the creation of the iPhone.
Apple says goodbye to iPods, the pocket devices that made history
“I’ll put the music in your pocket. Something between five hundred and a thousand songs, all in your pocket. Why can’t I see that inexplicable Walkman anymore. Enough, you go around carrying a tape deck. We’re not wild, so I’ll put 1000 songs in your pocket. ” claims the character of Steve Jobs to his daughter Lisa in the 2015 film of the same name. And so he did: Steve Jobs, especially Apple, he managed to put hundreds of songs in people’s pocketsforever changing the way you listen to music.
The iPod first arrived in theOctober 2001presented itself as a pocket brick made of polished steel, with a white front and a small screen on which to read information and select songs. It contained approx 1000 songs, as promised by Steve Jobs, and it was a real revolution. Since that October 23, 2021, the iPod has become a ubiquitous product: millions of people roamed the world with the iconic white headphones on their ears and the device in their pockets. Also, it was a great way to sell Macintosh computers: the first iPod was only compatible with Macs.
Later Apple introduced other generations of iPod classic and other models such as l’iPod Shuffle, a cheaper version without a display; L’iPod mini and the very famous iPod nano, descendant of the mini, which made history thanks to its small size. Most of these, such as the classic, the mini and the nano, were characterized by the very famous “Click Wheel”a touch sensitive wheel which allowed you to scroll through the songs with a fascinating naturalness.
Then in 2007 Apple introduced the first generation of iPod touch, essentially iPhones without phone capabilities. The iPod touch was last updated in 2019, with the seventh generation, and is the latest model announced by Apple.
A device that made less sense in recent years
Yesterday, Apple officially said goodbye to all of this, a piece of history. The company has in fact announced that it has discontinued production of iPod touches, the only ones still on the market, ending two decades of revolution that led to the creation of the iPhone. Suffice it to say that since its introduction in 2001, Apple has sold approximately 450 million iPods.
The reason for all this is very simple, although many may regret it. The Cupertino company, largely thanks to the iPhone introduced in 2007, and later thanks to the Apple Music service, she made sure the music would survive. The days of buying and owning 99-cent songs on an iPod have passed, now a monthly subscription that provides access to larger music catalogs is preferred. Sales also testify to this: last year Apple sold about three million iPods, compared to 250 million iPhones.
IPod touches can be purchased while supplies last, both for those who want to take home a piece of history that will soon no longer exist – if not through the sale of second-hand – and for those who want an Apple device similar to an iPhone but cheaper, where to listen to music and more. Apple announced the farewell stating that “The spirit of the iPod will live on” and we can only agree. Nobody will ever forget these devices, which have left an indelible mark on the history of consumer electronics. And in that of music.