What happened to the iPod?

The tech giant that Apple today lives mainly on iPhone, its star product. Almost half of its turnover comes from there. In second place, Smart watch, home automation and accessories. And thirdly, their online services is becoming more and more diverse: music, series and television, sports broadcasts, games and applications… But if Apple is what it is today, it is largely thanks to The device has already been discontinuediPod.

After a hasty exit, Steve Jobs He returned to run his company. And after bring order to the declining Apple, decided to focus on a new business area beyond the computers and peripherals it primarily sold. First, the company changed its structure and renamed its current products. This time iBooks and iMac for the general public and PowerBooks and Power Macs for professionals.

And then the big one came bet on digital music. MP3 players already existed and people downloaded them. online music. Although through unofficial methods. But record companies rejected this market and continued to focus on the physical format. With the release of the iPod, Apple changed its approach consume music. And this opened the door for products such as the iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch and others.

The end of the iPod or how to die from success

On May 10, 2022, Apple announced end of ipod touchthe last survivor of these electronic devices announced the distant November 2001. More than 20 years of history, which today can be seen in almost any Apple product. As the press release itself states: announced the discontinuation of iPod: “The same experience is available on all Apple devices, from iPhone and Apple Watch to iPad and Mac.” Not forgetting Apple TV, HomePod mini or AirPods in their various variants. Eventually. Why continue producing and selling iPods? if its features are already included in other devices that sell as well or better than the iPod in its heyday.

Music, of course, is an important pillar of Apple. Among its online services Apple Music subscription, integrated into almost all devices in the Apple ecosystem. And if this integration exists today, it is thanks to the release of the iPod, a device that fits in your pocket and can be carried with you. 1000 songs in MP3 format. It weighed 185 grams and had 10 hours of autonomy.

The advent of MP3 in 1993 made it possible to digitize the then popular CDs or CD. The CD, along with the cassette, was the format in which music was purchased back then. With MP3 you could have just one song or part of an album and listen to it anywhere. First on the computer. And later in devices known as mp3 players. All this is behind the back of the music industry, which did not want to switch to digital technologies. Hence the tragic end of Napster.

If you don’t do it, someone will.

Need for consume music I was there. And MP3 allowed you to listen to your favorite songs on computers or portable players. Even on the first compatible phones. But the record companies resisted sell digital music. Thus, P2P networks have satisfied this need. The Internet had already started to become popular at the end of the 20th century and although connections left much to be desired, it was possible exchange songs.

If the public wants MP3 songs, why not sell them at a reasonable price rather than force them to buy the entire album? Thanks to this philosophy, Steve Jobs announced the iPod in October 2001. A month later it went on sale. And in 2003, after difficult negotiations with record labels, artists and music groups, Apple announced iTunes storea store where you could buy music for your iPod in the form of full albums or from individual songs.

The iPod has gone through several phases. It all started as a device portable boombox size with a screen, headphones and a wheel for easy control. Compatible with MP3, WAV and AIFF, its capacity is increased. From 5 GB from the first model to the 160 GB iPod classic. And support for new formats such as AAS or Apple without loss. Later he also introduced gamesviewing photos and images. And with iPod touch support Applications like the ones you can install on an iPhone. As for the price, it was not unreasonable for that time. $399 for 5GB model. It will take several years to launch the competition. more affordable models.

The iPod family: for every budget

The original iPod went through several generations. He Original iPod, which was later renamed Classic, had six generations. Between 2001 and 2007. In 2004, two versions coexisted: the original and the version. iPod Mini. From 4 to 6 GB, smaller size and different colors. A year later, in 2005, the family was replenished with a third model – iPod nano. It has gone through seven generations, the last in 2012. Everything with a screen. It started with 1, 2 or 4 GB, and eventually offered from 8 to 16 GB of memory.

In the same 2005, along with Nano, a simpler version will go on sale – iPod shuffle. Cheaper and without a screen. It started offering capacities of 512 MB or 1 GB and ended at 2 GB in the 2010 version. And if that wasn’t enough, in 2007 iPod touch. An inevitable model given the success of the iPhone. The iPod Touch and iPhone were similar inside and out, but the difference between the iPod Touch and the iPhone was the phone’s features and price.

And as expected, mimicry between MP3 players and mobile phones, henceforth smart, led to the end of the market in the first place. The commercial strategy of calling them MP4 players to provide them with larger packaging proved to be of little use. The smartphone was born thanks to the technologies embedded in the players, such as ARM processors, flash memory, touch screens, lithium-ion batteries and, in general, miniaturization of components interior. So, when the iPhone became Apple’s flagship product, the iPod fell out of favor. But His mission has already been completed.. Make music available for purchase and playback on all types of electronic devices.

Latest iPod

In May 2019, Apple released the newest iPod. iPod touch seventh generation. Three years later, the end of the cycle was announced. Or in other words, “it will be available while in stock” Today, there is virtually no trace of the iPod on Apple’s official website. The technical documentation remains and it is mentioned in the online store in the section accessories section. Since it is very similar to the iPhone, there are accessories that can be used for both devices. iPod socks will forever be remembered.

The demise of the iPod came with the advent of its worthy successor, iPhone. Announced in 2007, it gained weight in the Apple product chart. To the point that the 100th iPod was almost identical. If in 2009 the iPod brought in 29% of the profits of Steve Jobs’ company, in 2014 it was only 1%. Although many would like this 1% to be translated into 410 million UAH. But, as they say, there’s some iPod in each of the products and services that Apple currently sells.

This does not mean that, like any other Apple product, there is second hand market unofficial, which distributes iPods of all generations and models. It’s even possible buy iPod Classic at a modest price. They may not be the latest, but the products vintage They have their own market niche.