WASHINGTON — After more than 20 years on the shelf, Apple is finally pulling the plug on one of its most recognizable products.
In a press release, the tech giant revealed to customers that the iPod Touch -- Apple's last available iPod product -- will no longer be manufactured, but customers can still purchase a device "while supplies last." Apple added that customers can further enjoy listening to their music on their other available products, like the iPhone and iPad.
“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."
First introduced by the late Steve Jobs in 2001, the iPod was revolutionary in the market of mobile media players, becoming a must-have for music lovers owning dozens of CDs and cassette tapes.
Apple-fanatics were drawn to the original device's distinctive scroll wheel and clicking noises, but many were more impressed by Apple's promise that the device could hold "up to 1,000 CD-quality songs into an ultra-portable, 6.5 ounce design that fits in your pocket," as advertised on iPod's release date.
According to Apple, more than 100 million iPods had been sold by 2007, the same year in which Apple first introduced its revolutionary iPhone, which ultimately became the pre-cursor to today's iPod touch. But as smartphones and tablets became more ubiquitous for 2010 consumers, the iPod lost much of its original glamor.
