RIP iPod: Apple discontinues the iPod Touch two decades after the first iPod debuted

The iPod is no more. Apple has announced that they’ll be discontinuing the iPod Touch, with it only being available while supplies last. This comes just over two decades since the very first iPod was released in October 2001.

As Apple notes, the average user can pretty much experience their music library anywhere now with their iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac, and so the iPod Touch really just isn’t a product for this generation anymore. If you still really do want the last iPod Touch, it’s still available for purchase in Malaysia while supplies last and costs a whopping RM899 for the 32GB model, rising to RM1,329 for 128GB of storage and RM1,799 for 256GB of storage. Realistically though, it’s probably better to get a midrange Android smartphone for that kind of money.

That iPod Touch in question of course launched back in 2019 too, meaning that it’s not exactly cutting edge. It wasn’t really cutting edge even when it launched though, with its Apple A10 Fusion chip under the hood powering its 4-inch, 1136 x 640p Retina display. For context, the Apple A10 Fusion was the same chip powering the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus from 2016. It came with an 8MP, f/2.2 camera on the rear too while the front has a 1.2MP, f/2.2 camera for your selfie needs. You’ll also only find WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity on the 7th generation iPod Touch.

“Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry — it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to, and shared.

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. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio — there’s no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music, ” – Greg Joswiak, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Apple

With all that being said though, the iPod and its subsequent spin offs such as the iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle and iPod Touch were absolutely revolutionary devices for its time. It was the bestselling music player in history, with over 450 million different iPods sold and it’s just a shame that there’s just no need for an MP3 player like it anymore. These days, most people don’t even download and store their music anymore, as subscription-based music streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify have taken over how we listen to music now.

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