So why is Apple killing the iPod?

iPod Shuffle

Recently, Apple Inc. quietly discontinued the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano. Both of these were launched in 2005.

The products disappeared from Apple's online stores, something that could be predicted when they stopped receiving updates almost 5 years back. What remains of one of the most iconic product line ups of this century is the iPod touch which will be available with a price cut, now starting at 199$(~12700 INR). 

What I am trying to convey here is that, if you read between the lines, Apple just killed every standalone music player it sold. The iPod Touch which remains runs apps, connects to WiFi and streams songs. It even runs iOS, the same system which is available on the iPhone. 

The iPod was a remarkable piece of tech, equipped with the ability to hold 1000s of songs and fit in your palm in 2005. It could be said that the iPods carved the path for iPhones. And guess what the music app on the iPhone was called? iPod. This is one of the major reasons of the demise of the product. What they offered, is now available on practically every phone on the planet, along with a lot of other features. The demand for a standalone music player went downhill from here. 

Another reason is relatability. The iPod did not have any connection standards such as WiFi or Bluetooth. This makes them incompatible with other Apple products such as the Airpods, which the company is so aggressively pushing. Hence, the iPod had to go.

Connectivity was another major issue. When Spotify came out in 2008, it redefined music listening. People started losing interest in maintaining huge libraries of music when you could just stream almost every song out there. Then, with the dawn of Apple Music, lack of connectivity hit closer to home.

As Carolina Milanesi, consumer tech analyst with Creative Strategies, puts it: 

“Makes sense: No place for iPod Nano & Shuffle when music means Apple Music.”

No need for a device not connected?

Basically, Apple is playing for the contemporary card and the iPod just doesn't fit anymore. 

This is not Apple's exit from music though. Apple will soon be launching a voice controlled speaker called HomePod. 

Personally, I believe that we still haven't reached that point when we cut out any device which is not connected. After all, it is still amazing to listen to music without being interrupted by notifications or browsing through a multitude of apps to find a player.