The End of an Era: Discontinuation of the 'iPod'... A Look Back at Its History

Discontinuation of iPod Touch... Only Remaining Stock for Sale
Praised as an 'Innovative Device' at iPod Launch... iTunes Service Also Popular
iPod Sales Plummet with the Advent of the Smartphone Era

The first-generation iPod released in 2001. Photo by Asia Economy DB.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] One of the key contributors to making Apple what it is today, the 'iPod,' is being discontinued after 21 years. The iPod, launched by Apple in 2001 as an MP3 player, was praised as revolutionary at the time. Before the iPod, people had to carry heavy and bulky devices like CD players to listen to music, but after the birth of the iPod, such inconveniences were no longer necessary. Although several MP3 players were released, the iPod was in a league of its own in terms of capacity and convenience.

The iPod has been greatly loved by consumers over the years, but Apple has decided to stop production after selling only the remaining stock. Why is the iPod disappearing into history?

◆ The iPod, first released in 2001, fades into history after 21 years

On the 10th (local time), Apple announced that it would discontinue the last model of the iPod series, the 'iPod Touch.' Apple had not released any new models for three years since the 7th generation iPod Touch in May 2019. Apple plans to sell only the remaining inventory and will no longer produce the device.

In response to this news, the US IT media outlet The Verge said, "Apple created an almost monopolistic model for listening to audio until it discontinued the iPod Nano and Shuffle in 2017," adding, "The disappearance of the iPod Touch means the end of an era."

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the iPod's release. Apple first launched the iPod on October 23, 2001. At that time, people listened to music using CD players or low-capacity MP3 players. However, CD players were bulky and inconvenient to carry, and MP3 players had limited capacity, storing only a few dozen songs at best.

iPod Nano released in 2005. Photo by Asia Economy DB.

In contrast, the iPod had a 5GB capacity, capable of storing 1,000 songs. Although priced at $399, which was expensive, its innovative capacity captivated consumers. Apple founder Steve Jobs emphasized the iPod as "a new revolution in digital music," and Apple promoted it with the slogan, "1,000 songs in your pocket." Thanks to its popularity, the iPod sold 600,000 units within a year of its release in 2002.

The iTunes service also played a role in the iPod's popularity. Apple launched the iTunes service in 2003, allowing customers to download music. Additionally, iTunes began selling individual songs instead of entire albums, with a low price of 99 cents per song, which attracted consumers' interest. The synergy between the iPod and iTunes enabled Apple to quickly dominate the global MP3 player and digital music markets.

Apple continued to release new versions of the iPod, undergoing constant changes. The iPod Mini in 2004 and the iPod Nano in 2005 were successive hits, shaking up the MP3 player market. By 2007, Apple's MP3 player market share in the US had expanded to 73.7%.

◆ iPod sales plummet with the advent of smartphones

The heyday of the thriving iPod came to an end with the rise of the smartphone era. As people could listen to music with just one phone, the need for MP3 players diminished, causing iPod sales to plummet. Especially, right after the release of the iPod Touch in 2008, global iPod sales reached 54.8 million units, but by 2014, when smartphones became widespread, sales had dropped sharply to 14.3 million units.

Apple also released the iPod Nano in 2012 and the iPod Shuffle in 2015, but production was eventually discontinued one after another. The iPod Touch kept the line alive, but with its production now halted, the iPod will remain in history.

Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, said, "The music listening experience brought by the iPod has been integrated into all of Apple's products," adding, "The spirit of the iPod lives on even today."