Apple has finally announced the demise of the “iPod” brand. The last surviving iPod model, the iPod touch, has officially been discontinued. The product will now be available only “while supplies last.”

Explaining the discontinuation of the iPod touch, the Cupertino-based company said that the iPod is now outdated and outdone by newer iPhones and iPads. Moreover, its functionality is also available in the more recent devices in the company’s stable.

The iPod Success Story

Apple’s iPod was introduced in October 2001. The iPod Touch made its debut in 2007 and was a smash hit. Buyers looking for an iPhone-like device without cellular connectivity were instantly drawn to it. Apple updated the device for a few years at regular intervals, but the popularity of the iPhone eclipsed the iPod.

The seventh-generation iPod touch on store shelves today has been discontinued. Older models such as the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, etc., have also been suspended. The iPod Touch is the last surviving product bearing the iPod branding. This means you should join the scramble to get one if you want the last-ever dedicated Apple-branded media player. While supplies last, you can try to pick one up from Apple’s website, physical retail stores, and Apple Authorised Resellers.

The iPod Touch sells for $199 and comes with a 4-inch screen with chunky bezels all around, a Home button (sans Touch ID), and an A10 Fusion chip powering everything. The device comes in Pink, Space Gray, Silver, Gold, Blue, and (PRODUCT)RED.

Moving On

In a press release titled “The music lives on,” the iPod maker steers distraught fans toward newer gadgets such as the iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod mini to continue enjoying music. The release also continued a statement from the company’s senior VP of Worldwide Marketing, Greg Joswiak.

“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,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “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.”

We will dearly miss the iPod range in all its forms, shapes, and sizes. Hopefully, the iPod’s legacy lives on and surviving examples are lovingly maintained by the enthusiast community in the years to come.