The iPod Nano and the iPod Shuffle have officially been discontinued, according to an update from the Apple website. The products are no longer displayed on the Apple website.
“Today, we are simplifying our iPod lineup with two models of iPod touch now with double the capacity starting at just $199 and we are discontinuing the iPod shuffle and iPod nano,” said an Apple spokesperson in a statement, according to Techcrunch.
For the most part, most Apple users have an iPhone (there were 700 million iPhones in use around the world in March of this year, according to Fortune), which is probably why these products were discontinued. In just the second quarter of 2017, iPhones outsold both Macs and iPads, selling over 50 million units according to Statista. The iPhone seems to be one of Apple’s best products, as the statistics prove that they are moving millions of units every single quarter.
While these iconic Apple products have been discontinued, the iPod Touch will be getting a new upgrade. The iPod Touch now only comes in 32GB and 128GB models, in comparison to the 16GB and 64GB models Apple was selling before. The 32GB model costs $199.99 and the 128GB model costs $299.99 now, making it more accessible for users who don’t particularly want a phone but a music device that has a lot of storage.
The iPod Nano and the iPod Shuffle will truly be missed, being some of Apple’s first more convenient music players (anyone remember the iPod Mini? I don’t think it could fit in someone’s pocket). But, obviously, Apple consumers are more focused on the newest iPhone models that are coming out (i.e. the iPhone 8, which has had many rumors surrounding its official release) and discontinuing these products probably won’t hurt the company.
Both of these products haven’t updated in years, according to Axios. The iPod Nano was last updated in 2012 and the iPod Shuffle was last updated in 2010, meaning that the products were probably not paid attention to as much once iPhone sales were rocketing. The writer also mentions that both of these music devices do not have any form of Wi-Fi connectivity, which all current Apple products do (the Mac lineup, the iPhone 7, and the iPad lineup).
The last update for the iPod Nano brought it back to its original, long shape after the sixth generation update made it much smaller than previous models (but it introduced the touch screen to the iPod Nano). The significant adjustments made to the device was the revert back to its original shape but with a touch screen and works with Bluetooth.
The last update for the iPod Shuffle brought back the buttons to play/pause, change the music and adjust the volume. Otherwise, not much was changed about the iPod Shuffle in comparison to its previous generations (although the iPod Shuffle’s third generation is a standout from its other models).
The end of these products is easily the end of a very big era for Apple. Both products lasted 12 years each for Apple and were the portable music players that people wanted. The iPod Nano was the music player that was easy to fit in your pocket and not take up too much space, while the iPod Shuffle was a smaller, more affordable option for people who still wanted to listen to music.
If you are still interested in Apple products, Apple currently has the iPhone 7, the iPod Touch, the iPad (along with the iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4), and Macbooks and iMacs. With Apple’s focus shifting to their better selling products, the iPod Nano and the iPod Shuffle may be lost, but not forgotten by early Apple adapters.
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons.
