Apple Discontinues iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle

[melendezest]

Steve Jobs prided himself in that Apple's entire product line could fit on one table at the Apple Store. A slim product line helps focus the company on its overall goal. Too many products confuse the consumer and distract the company.

This was a good first step in returning to that ideal.

I could not disagree more.

That trope was true of the late 90's-early 00's when the computing and communications revolution was still somewhat nascent.

But today pretty much everyone is computer savvy, and this will only grow with time. By having less and/or more limited products than the competition Apple is painting itself further and further into an (admittedly profitable for now) niche.

They don't need to turn into Dell, but the whole "pare it down" approach is forcing customers like me to look elsewhere because they discontinue products and replace them with ones that cannot replace what came before in many scenarios.

 

[Swift]

iPods are for the era of buying music files and putting them on your device. Now it’s streaming from the cloud— even the stuff you used to have on the iPhone. ‘Bye, iPod.

 

[iReality85]

I still have fond memories of my green iPod Mini in college. Was a great little music player, which was then replaced with a sleek and shiny iPod 5th Gen. Those were the days!

 

[MacBH928]

I am surprised they still have them.. who wants a dedicated iPod when everyone has a phone already and all the streaming you want from multi-companies.

 

[MacHiavelli]

My Shuffle went through a 90-minute cycle in a washing machine and an hour in a dryer, and it still works.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Which is why I said "majority" and not "all".

It holds a special place in my heart too. My iPod was my first Apple device I owned. Still works and is in relatively good condition considering what it's been through.

Right now I leave it permanently plugged in to my speaker/dock and use it to play music during parties and such. I imagine that people like us who use their iPods as at-home music players is what partially inspired the HomePod.

Actually, while I use it at home a lot, I use it even more when travelling (planes, trains, buses) and when abroad.

I travel a lot - and sometimes spend months at a time abroad in what can met kindly be described as undeveloped - or underdeveloped - countries; in such settings, - especially if you love music - an iPod is an invaluable companion.

Mine (a 160 GB classic) is used daily.

 

[Squonk]

I've been wanting a 7G nano to replace my 2G nano for running for the same reason as the other runners have posted above. Now on the hunt for some sort of blow-out deal on them.

My 160GB Classic still sees usage for music in the garage a couple times a month and long road trips.

And I just bought a hybrid tube headphone amp for the office listening.

Music is a huge part of my life and iPods help me take my music with me everywhere and for that I'm grateful. I'm not ready for an Apple Watch which wont hold much music (lossless only for me, thank you) and I'm not taking a $700 iPhone out for a run.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I am surprised they still have them.. who wants a dedicated iPod when everyone has a phone already and all the streaming you want from multi-companies.

Well, I don't stream: I don't like the rentier model of music consumption, and I deplore the poor quality (and range) of music available when you download it.

While my music library is around 100GB, not one track on it has been downloaded; all are CDs I bought myself (or received as gifts).

And I am one of those who wants a dedicated iPod - my interest is in a device that plays music (and does that very well) while doing absolutely nothing else.

Moreover, I don't have an iPhone, and - as I own a perfectly good and quite beautiful and exquisitely functional Omega Deville which adorns my wrist - I have no intention of ever purchasing an Apple watch.

 

[Appleaker]

The nano makes sense, but I'm kinda surprised by the shuffle, which I hunk still has a place for many people. The next closest replacement for the shuffle is the Apple Watch, which is still too expensive, despite all the other things it can do.

But why keep the Touch? The SE is poised to drop in price with the next update, and provide an entry-level phone that offers an optional cellular connection -- cuts Apple's overhead in maintaining yet another product and reduces the overall cost of the SE by lowering the component price with increased volume making a price reduction more likely.

There's still a space for the iPod touch, and more demand than the other iPod models. I do understand that the SE is almost like a successor, but there is a $200 difference, which is quite large. Even if reduced, there would still be a difference. They each have advantages of their own, perhaps the iPod Touch should become more of an 'iPad nano', as a low cost Plus sized device with no cellular connectivity.

 

[Plutonius]

They should rename it 'iPad micro' and kill the iPod altogether.

I'm not sure it's necessary since I believe that the Touch is the only iPod left .

 

[venomgt95]

My first Apple product was an Orange 4th gen shuffle. That lead to the collection I have today. I'm saddened by this choice.

 

[yanki01]

man, my first apple product i purchased was the 1st gen nano with some christmas money December 2005. I remember the day it stopped working was when they had their recall. i didn't want to send it in but wanted to listen to my music. was sad getting back a 6th gen as the replacement and not my original one.


MINTY fresh iPod nano by Robert, on Flickr

 

[kazmac]

I killed so many Shuffles...which was part of the reason why I finally bought an iPhone; I made sure I'd be super careful with that.

They were wonderful for the time, even if they cowered in fear whenever I bought one.

 

[44267547]

TC want everyone to buy that dud of a watch.

Ignorance is becoming of you for labeling the Apple Watch a "Dud", when it Clearly isn't. But you likely already knew that when you interjected a snark comment about Cook into the equation.

Edit: A quick glance at Your previous posts also disparages against Cook as well. So, it's not just about the Apple Watch, you're just using this as leverage.

 

[Porco]

This is a shame. I use various iPods on a regular basis and they all have their pros and cons. The iPod Touch isn't always the best choice amongst them, depending on the situation.

 

[Cloudkicker]

I bought the first generation shuffle. Unfortunately a mouse peed on it and it died. I've been sour on them ever since.

Maybe you should be sour on mice instead. ;-)

 

[GeneralChang]

In a bizarre coincidence, last night I had a dream I was carrying/using my iPod for some reason. An iPod 3rd gen - the original form factor, FireWire, 10gb spinning drive, and the zero-moving-parts white front panel. I know it's around here somewhere, but I haven't seen it in years. Maybe it was trying to tell me something about all its friends?

My wife once conclusively proved that an iPod nano would not survive going through the washer and dryer. Heck of a way to upgrade from gen2 to gen3. (No, she didn't do it on purpose.)

Does this mean that Apple no longer offers a device with a built-in (and functioning) FM radio? I don't recall if the latest Touch has that.

And finally, for for all the folks bemoaning mere 2-3 year upgrade cycles on Macs, check out that seven years since the last Shuffle upgrade! And it's still been in stock at stores. Wonder if they're getting dropped because the warehouse is finally running low. Wonder when the last one was built.

Always kinda wanted to get the last Shuffle, just because it's cute and little with a (for the size) large screen, but, dang it, when I want to listen to music or podcasts, my iPhone is always at hand, and it can pull content from the internet.

Fare thee well, little iPod. You definitely made your mark on the world.

Hilariously, my college roommate put his 1st gen Nano through the washer and dryer and after charging it back up, it continued to work like a charm! Wonder what was different about your wife's experience?

And I'm with you on getting that final iPod I totally don't need, because yeah, that last Nano was adorable. I might still grab one, for the heck of it. But dang if you're not right about that iPhone always being right there with its fancy internet connection and everything.

 

[sracer]

Damn, I actually really dig the iPad Shuffle. It's very handy when running or at the gym. I'd say the Apple Watch would fill the roll, but if you're like my girlfriend who doesn't have an iPhone but still likes the portability aspect, the iPod Shuffle is the perfect little design.

There are also us oddball dinosaurs who like to have physical buttons for volume and track playback control. That's where the Shuffle and Nano fit in and cannot be replaced.

 

[naeS1Sean]

Makes no sense at all to me, the ipod touch and the iphone haven't the portability of an ipod shuffle or nano, if I'm going to run, nothing beats the convenience of a shuffle.
The ipod touch has always seemed useless to me, as big as an iphone, can do anything an iphone can but calling. At that point you buy an iphone...

It makes sense if no one is buying them (which they mustn't be). Or if it's not in the direction Apple wants to go. In Apple's mind the solution for you would probably be an Apple Watch. Then there's even less to carry.

Also, the iPod Touch is great for kids who are too young for an iPhone. They're also much cheaper.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

They were great, they will be missed.

 

[Cloudkicker]

Almost all my music (90%) is from the Napster then Morpheus P2P days. About 2000 files of all eras & genres. I love my catalogue & have back ups so I don't ever lose it.

I have mixed feelings about not owning digital music files & going w/ streaming only. I can see the good in it... yet I feel attached to my library. Must be nostalgia for that pre-iPhone/smartphone era.

 

[naeS1Sean]

And not much of a jump in price at the low end:

iPod Nano:
$199-$399

Apple Watch:
$269-$1,299

I think the $69 start price may be worth it.

EDIT:
Have to add the cost of BT Earbuds too: $120-$150

And I'm not sure if you have to have an iPhone to use the watch (it's in the System Requirements)...

So the plug-and play simplicity is lost at the expense of...um...expense.

Just to say, I got pretty good (definitely gym worthy) Bluetooth earbuds for less than $25. (Anker SoundBuds Slim on Amazon)
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Welp, thanks a lot, MacRumors. Now this happened…

View attachment 710406

I've always found the first generation Nano to be the prettiest thing Apple has produced, so I thought I might as well pick one up.

Even prettier than the iPhone 4!?

 

[Sorrel]

How long will iTunes remain compatible with older iPods? Hopefully a long while yet (I still use my 4th gen nano every day).

 

[sracer]

Not surprised.

I noticed way back that the Nano and Suffle were always meant to be replaced by the Apple Watch:

EDIT: I find these designs more "manly" than the "girlie" Apple Watch. I wish Apple would offer an option similar to these for those of us who prefer such a style.

I still have my Nano with that stainless steel band. Still runs great!

 

[Tech198]

Everyone wanted to do the "shuffle"..... even me at one point, and now its gone

First time i spotted one was at Duty Free shop.