Apple has discontinued the iPod, 20 years after it was released. The US tech giant said its iconic music player has been replaced by other devices, making the iPod redundant.
Apple wrote in the press release, “Since its introduction over 20 years ago, iPod has captivated users all over the world who love the ability to take their music with them on the go. Today, the experience of taking one’s music library out into the world has been integrated across Apple’s product line — from iPhone and Apple Watch to iPad and Mac — along with access to more than 90 million songs and over 30,000 playlists available via Apple Music.”
iPod was a pocket-sized revolution that transformed the music industry and brought happiness to millions – and the spirit of iPod is still with us today. It was truly a team effort to bring it to life and we are honored to play a part in Apple’s history. https://t.co/sgl3FCdg3p
— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) May 10, 2022
In October 2001, Steve Jobs debuted the original iPod and it was the first MP3 player that could hold 1,000 songs and had a 10-hour battery life. “With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go,” he said at the time.
Similar MP3 players released by Microsoft and Sony did not have the same success as the iPod. Apple has released five versions of its music player – the Classic, Touch, Shuffle, Mini and Nano.