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    End of an era: Apple pulls the plug on iconic iPod after 20 years. Users express nostalgia on Twitter

    Synopsis

    The 7th-generation iPod Touch, the only version still being sold, will be available for purchase till supplies last.

    Apple discontinues iconic iPod after 20 years, available 'while supplies last'
    After a good 20-year-run, Apple is pulling the plug on iPod, its portable music player which was first launched in October 2001. In last two decades, the iPod went through a lot of revamps and was launched in different shapes, sizes, colours and features.

    The 7th-generation iPod Touch, the only version still being sold, will be available for purchase till supplies last, Apple informed.

    "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.

    Evolution Of iPod
    The original iPod, introduced to the world on October 23, 2001, came packed with a mind-blowing 1,000 songs and a 10-hour battery support.

    Since its launch, the iPod took on a storm of competing music players before being eclipsed by smartphones, online music streaming and within the Apple pantheon, by the rise of the iPhone.

    The iPod has undergone several iterations since its inception featuring a scroll wheel, the capacity to store a 1,000 songs and a 10-hour battery-life. The version that has been carried till date - the iPod Touch - was launched in 2007, the same year as the iPhone.
    iPod Touch
    iPod touch was first introduced on September 5, 2007. It brought the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface that made iPhone a hit to iPod with a gorgeous 3.5-inch widescreen display.
    Apple then released iPod mini, which was introduced on February 20, 2004, brought everything users loved about iPod into a smaller design at just 3.6 ounces.

    Then came iPod nano (2nd generation), on September 25, 2006, which offered a thin design, a bright color display, six stylish colors, and up to 24 hours of battery life, and put up to 2,000 songs in users’ pockets.

    iPod also got compact with iPod shuffle (4th generation), launched by Apple on July 15, 2015. The music device offered a sleek design with up to 15 hours of battery life, 2GB of storage good for hundreds of songs, and a VoiceOver button to hear a song title, playlist name, or battery status.

    Apple stopped reporting iPod sales in 2015.

    Farewell, iPod
    As Apple announced the news about discontinuing iPod, several users took to Twitter to express nostalgia as they bid adieu to their "favourite" music player.

    "No tech product since has brought me as much joy as my iPods. All started with 1,000 songs in my pocket," a user wrote on Twitter.
    tweet pic one

    While another user said that he still uses his iPod though there are different inventions in the market.

    "I still use mine regularly. I know other inventions have been far more important over time but I could never have imagined when listening to my Walkman in the 80s that one day you could have your whole collection on one device," he wrote.
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    Many users said that they still their iPod devices.
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    What's Next For Apple's Music Services?
    The tech giant said that it will continue streaming music services through Apple Music available on its other devices such as iPhone, Mac, iPad, HomePod Mini and more.

    "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," Joswiak added.

    The music services will also be available on the newly launched iPhone SE, its budget-friendly smartphone, Apple said.

    "Among the incredible ways to enjoy music across a range of devices, including a wide variety of models from the new iPhone SE to the latest iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone is the best device for streaming Apple Music or storing an entire music library on the go," the tech company said in a statement.

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