Apple is winding down sales of the iPod touch, the last version of its iconic music player.
The company signaled the end of the iPod line with a Tuesday press release titled: “The music lives on.” The announcement says the iPod touch will only remain on sale “while supplies last.” It also notes the iPod line is no longer needed, since many people rely on their iPhones for music.
“Today, the spirit of iPod lives on. We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV,” Greg Joswiak, Apple's SVP for Marketing, said in the announcement.
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The iPod originally arrived in 2001, and it quickly became Apple’s most popular consumer product. It also functioned as a precursor to the iPhone, which would eventually overshadow the iPod line.
By 2012, Apple was focusing less and less on developing new iPod products. However, in 2019, the company released a 7th generation iPod touch, nearly four years after the previous version. The product received a positive review from PCMag as a relatively affordable music player with a touch screen. But it seems Apple is finally pulling the plug on future iPod development.
On the plus side, discounts are starting to appear for the 7th generation iPod touch. Amazon is currently offering the 32GB version of the product for $189, $10 off the original price. But once supplies run out, Apple says users should consider buying an iPhone SE or iPhone 13 to act as their portable music player.