Apple Discontinues iPod Touch

[Apleeseed84]

I’m pissed, But hello Walkman, for those in the know the iPhone is not the greatest music player when we get a watered down version of itself, I just wanted a dedicated high res music player with customizable EQ settings. RIP iPod, you got through me some hard times in the past ??

 

[aParkerMusic]

The first sentence of your post seems to mock iPod lovers, then the rest of your post seems to criticise Apple for the inferior replacement product. Then you praise or mock… someone(?) with "courage". This apparent contradiction makes it impossible for people on either side of the fence to agree with your post…

Although if I ignore the first "Blah blah blah" sentence, and ignore the word "courage", I completely agree with what your saying.

Sadly, people like that are protected in the forums here. Not sure why, they‘re toxic and they clearly don't like Apple. I wonder why they are allowed to stick around but others disappear. Very troubling. It would be nice if this could just be a place where people who are interested in Apple could talk about Apple-related rumors, and have fun disagreeing.

 

[Captain_Mac]

The end of an era. Still remember my first Apple product, the iPod touch 4th generation. And still have it

That said, finally, it was such an outdated product. AppleTV HD needs to go next.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I’m so lucky to have bought a classic iPod from 2001 off Ebay with Firewire. It’s a collectors item I don’t plan on selling. In 2009 I won an iPod Touch 3 and used it so much. Still have it, sitting a shoe box somewhere. The iPhone would have inevitably replaced the iPod Touch. When Steve Jobs launched the first one in fall 2007, it was obvious where things were heading.

The initial restraint was based on not giving kids an expensive device like an iPhone back in 2007 to 2015. Also the iPod Touch was seen as a cheap gateway drug for potential iPhone users in the future and to get kids on the path to the iPhone.

These days you can easily get an iPhone second hand for cheap that’s not a big deal to give to kids.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

I bought a 2nd gen iPod touch back in the day. I loved that thing.
When it broke, I got a new one sent back which I eventually sold when I got an HTC Desire.
Later, I got an iPod shuffle. Which also broke and I got it replaced, no questions asked.

Now, over a decade later, I have an iPod touch 4 and another iPod shuffle. Bought them out of nostalgia ?

 

[nutmac]

The use case iPhones don't cover is as a kids device.
An iPhone, even without a service plan, can still call emergency services (911, etc).

Children can master the use of a camera app, Facetime, eBooks, etc, waaaay before they understand the consequences of that SOS slider. Not having cellular capability at a hardware level was a huge benefit to the iPod Touch.

You can disable that by turning off Emergency SOS feature AND disabling cellular.

 

[noone]

"Music has always been part of our core at Apple - which is why we've completely screwed the pooch with the Music app on devices lolol."

This right here.

Can we go back to having Apple Music (the subscription) be it's own app and have a separate iPod app for your locally stored stuff? The way it exists now is convoluted at best.

 

[AmazingTechGeek]

iPod Touch was a full product, not an accessory.

Come on MacRumors…

 

[Steven*]

Still using my 5th gen iPod classic + iPod Hi-Fi, sound quality is still fantastic after all those years!
Truly truly a milestone.
Maybe we'll see a limited edition 20th anniversary iPod soon to commemorate the first iPod — no wait it's already too late for that

 

[Pilot Jones]

I knew this was inevitable but damn...it really hits so hard. Rest in Peace to one of the most iconic products of all time and my first Apple device ever.

We can all rest assured knowing that though the iPod is dead, it's legacy is genuinely indelible and will live on for as one of the cornerstones which modernized and changed our world forever ❤️

 

[Pezimak]

You can load music onto your iPhone. I do not stream anything, everything I listen to in the car is loaded directly onto my iPhone and it works fine, except for some podcasts.

I travel through areas with zero signal often enough that streaming is just throwing money into the fire.

I know you can play music off an iPhone, that wasn't my point, my point was you could get an iPod Touch to do it but that leaves you free to have whatever phone you like. People can have a different Android phone every year without loading music into it every time and have an Apple computer with iTunes storing their library, which they can access on an iPod Touch, as an example.

 

[dlopan]

I have an original touch from WWDC 2007, still works.
The Apple spirit went away a long time ago when Steve died.
Now run by an accountant which is never a good idea.

 

[clintage3]

Boooooooooo! I do not like this decision. iPod Touch is the entry level device for kids who's parents want to offer some sort of device for music and iMessage with their friends that's small enough they can carry around (iPad not an option), but who don't need an expensive iPhone (correct - elementary and middle schoolers don't need phones). Now we have to buy them a second-hand iPhone to do the same thing? They could have re-tooled it to be exactly for that market. ?. A real bummer.

 

[subjonas]

I wonder if this means Apple will offer software to convert any iPhone to an iPod touch. Currently iPhones have limitations as secondary devices. Some Continuity functions are hit and miss, and some don’t work at all.

 

[oldtime]

I'm bummed. I was hoping for the next iteration to have 512 or even 1tb of storage. Been on the lookout for a dedicated DAP and the UI, speed, reliability, and small footprint trumps the other available options in all ways except DAC quality/implementation and amplification power, but that was a sacrifice I'd be willing to make for greater ease/pleasure of use.

The audiophile space has room for a better iPod, and it's a shame that Apple chose to ignore this. Probably because the margins aren't quite delectable enough for a trillion$ co., whereas Sony or certainly someone smaller like Fiio will take every green column on the ledger that they can get.

 

[AtomicDusk]

Well darn. I still remember every iPod I ever owned.
1st Gen
2nd Gen
U2 iPod
iPod Classic
1st Gen Nano
4th Gen Nano
6th Gen Nano

Never had a shuffle or a touch, but around that time I switched to iPhone so I don't begrudge this decision... I'll just always miss it.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Ordered.

Engraved:

The last iPod Touch
It sure was fun while it lasted

???

 

[Tozovac]

"Music has always been part of our core at Apple - which is why we've completely screwed the pooch with the Music app on devices lolol."

This is genius and so sadly true.

 

[ipedro]

This was inevitable, if not way overdue. The iPod Touch was no longer the right choice for kids as a gaming device – the iPad mini was better – or a workout music device – Apple Watch took that crown. It didn't serve any niche anymore.

I thought it could find a new niche: For years, I felt like the iPod Touch had the potential to become a WiFi only iPhone for those who didn't want a full iPhone or didn't want a cell phone plan.

A new iCloud service that designates a phone number and access to a worldwide network of WiFi points in partnership with a high density franchise (Starbucks, McDs?). No telecom in between.

The FindMy Network even seemed to facilitate this by keeping Wi-Fi only devices connected for very low data transmissions such as approx location and notification badges in dead spots.

But I guess the Watch could fill that potential niche as well.

RIP iPod.

 

[spitcoff]

Horrible this is a great device for children. My 11 year old has one and works great for our needs as we wont allow him to have a phone.

 

[jonnysods]

Wow. I can see why, its a little sad - a piece of the past.

 

[98winds]

Here's our new product line... the iTouch.

 

[aaronvanderwal]

I think this opens the door for a new iPad Nano product. 5” screen, iPad OS.

 

[darngooddesign]

Blah blah blah whine whine whine cry cry cry !!! ? And effu Apple your iPod experience on the iPhone is a twilight zone piece of crap. Apple HATES on people who DARE to own and collect their own music and support the artists who MAKE the music. Courage.

Settle down edgelord.

None of that is true.

 

[thawk9455]

So what do parents like me who have kids under 10 years old buy for a portable "music player"?! Is Apple expecting me to drop $1000 on an iPhone? No. Bleeping. Way. $500+ for an iPad Mini? Nope. An iPad? Nope...it's too big to act as a portable music player (on the beach, walking, etc.). $429+ for an iPhone SE? Nope.

I'd probably be looking at an Apple Watch for this need at this point. If desired I can get one with cellular and be able to tell location, give them a method to contact us, etc. If you don't want the cellular its $279 for one with 32 GB of storage. Toss in some $20 bluetooth headphones and you've got a music player they won't lose because it is strapped to their wrist.

At this point, is suspect a lot of parents would also simply give their kids their old devices. Heck, I have a 4yo and a 2yo that think and old iPhone SE (1st gen) and iPhone 5c are great because they can turn them on and pretend they're using a phone (neither has a SIM or is configured, they just get to the WiFi setup page).

We used these in a work setting so I'm sad to see it go for that, but we'll probably just upgrade them to an iPhone SE.