Apple to Declare Last iPod Nano Model 'Vintage' Later This Month

[Oblivious.Robot]

Ah, I remember saving money for this, and gifting it to my first girlfriend.
Who then conveniently dumped me, a day or two later.

I’m starting to think she just wanted the iPod.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Probably sales fell off. Remember how they sold the iPad 2 well into the iPad 4? People were still buying it so they kept selling it. And it just played music really. The iPod Touch is still popular because it can do most of what the phone can do without the making phone calls part so it's still popular with kids as something that goes easily in the pocket.

Also, I think it was a Steve Jobs sort of thing. There were a few products that saw updates in 2012 that he probably had a hand in the year before but then didn't see updates for years, *cough*MAC MINI*cough*...
I still believe he was the energy source for Apple's five years of insane yearly product updates and that no one at Apple probably got a full nights sleep from 2006 through 2011. Once Steve had passed, tho, things slowed down dramatically.

Who says there has to be huge sales numbers to keep something going? As long as it's still selling and still profitable, it means there are still users who want it, and that adds to the ecosystem. E.g. Apple's wifi router, there's simply no need to kill it, and it makes those few users super happy, and keeps them in the ecosystem. Force them to look elsewhere, and you've just created the thin edge of the wedge for your competitors.

The beauty of the iPod Mini is it's super small size, and yet still has usable controls. It's a completely different use case to the Touch. I use my Mini as a complement to my phone, not as an alternative. I use it when I want a small, lightweight, portable music/podcast player, and don't need/want my phone.

 

[QCassidy352]

I think it's more like people not buying an iPod because they have an iPhone. Most people always carry their phone with them so there isn't much of a reason to have a second device anymore.

Yes, and the Apple Watch was the final nail in the coffin. Just not enough of a market/need for iPods anymore. And I say that as someone who had the first ever iPod model, the first nano, and the first shuffle.

 

[bniu]

Used to have multiple iPods and an iPhone. Once the iPhone capacity reached a reasonably useful point (32GB), the iPods became less compelling to carry around for music. Once iPhones could stream iTunes purchases and download them, iPods were essentially made obsolete.

 

[rmoliv]

iPhone killed the iPod.

 

[saudor]

I wonder how many people actually use a iPod on a regular basis. I had a 20GB Classic from the 90s and quit using it once I got an iPhone.

90s? 20gb? damn. considering the first ipod debuted in 2001, you could sell that for tens of thousands; maybe even more

 

[QCassidy352]

I wonder how many people actually use a iPod on a regular basis. I had a 20GB Classic from the 90s and quit using it once I got an iPhone.

You had a 20GB iPod from the 90s? The first iPod (5GB) came out in 2001.

 

[russell_314]

Who says there has to be huge sales numbers to keep something going? As long as it's still selling and still profitable, it means there are still users who want it, and that adds to the ecosystem. E.g. Apple's wifi router, there's simply no need to kill it, and it makes those few users super happy, and keeps them in the ecosystem. Force them to look elsewhere, and you've just created the thin edge of the wedge for your competitors.

The beauty of the iPod Mini is it's super small size, and yet still has usable controls. It's a completely different use case to the Touch. I use my Mini as a complement to my phone, not as an alternative. I use it when I want a small, lightweight, portable music/podcast player, and don't need/want my phone.

It costs more per unit to support items that sell less. The choice then is either to raise the price or stop selling it. At some point Apple decides the cost of support isn't worth it. That's just how business works.

 

[Apple_Robert]

You had a 20GB iPod from the 90s? The first iPod (5GB) came out in 2001.

iPod 4th Gen (ClickWheel) 20 GB, 40 GB Specs (iPod (ClickWheel), A1059, M9282LL/A*, 1995): EveryiPod.com

Specs and features for the iPod 4th Gen (ClickWheel) 20 GB, 40 GB. Dates sold, capacity, battery life, supported networks, size, weight, price and more.

everymac.com

It looks like my memory was off. It must have been 2004.

 

[B4U]

It is a device I can leave it connected to the car to play music where I do not need to remember to unplug when I leave the vehicle.
Such a shame that Apple has abandoned that product.
CarPlay works better in some ways, but not this.

 

[LeadingHeat]

Wow, so much nostalgia. I might cry! 😭 the iPod Nano was such a game changer from CD players that were prone to skipping if you shifted your weight wrong

 

[Casfin]

It’s a shame the 7th never supported Apple music. i still use my iPhone 5 for the gym with downloaded tunes from Apple music, but occasionally use my nano. As one poster said, fabulous little portable fm radio.

both those devices still going strong, iPhone 5 good for couple weeks workouts music.

 

[and 1989 others]

I got the 1st Gen Nano. Everybody was in awe of its size, and what it could do. Full colour screen, click wheel, 1k song storage capacity, in that goregous form factor.

Nothing compared to todays tech, but at the time! Genuinely joyful to use.

 

[steve09090]

What does this mean for MacOS support? Does that mean that at some point in time MacOS won't sync to them anymore? I have a bunch of iPod Touches and iPods that have a ton of music on them, and MacOS still will sync music to them.

Never thought about it until now. Maybe they won't make the ARM transition? That would be sad.

An iPod is formatted in Fat32, so it should be read the same was as most USB Thumbdrives.

 

[babens]

I still dream of getting an iPhone in that purple that was offered in the 4th generation iPod Nano

 

[mannyvel]

An iPod is formatted in Fat32, so it should be read the same was as most USB Thumbdrives.

I don't care about using it as a storage device, I care about using it as a music device. Unless you're using Rockbox you can't just copy music onto an iPod.

 

[Mc0]

ahh this makes me miss my ipod shuffle. Used to have one in College. Just clip it on my sweatpants when I workout. Good ol days.

 

[DeepIn2U]

RIP, iPods were an era. Such a step up from portable CD players.

Damn don't you know it. A close friend and I went to Bay & Bloor Radio here in Toronto to get the first hi-end portable Sony CD player when it debuted. $600+tax! All because he loved the sound coming from my pops stereo. Then I got the Mini-Disc portable recorder/player.

iPad Nano 6TH and 7TH Gen definitely was the best. I think I may purchase another just for walks in case my iPhone goes dead, more for nostalgia though.

 

[SuperCachetes]

The original iPod Nano was the first Apple product I owned...

Same. They finally got me with the "omg it's so SMALL" angle.

That sucker got HEAVY use at work. I remember the screen scratch controversy and not caring because you could basically polish the things with Brasso. The little iPod socks were cute though.

 

[Spock]

iPhone killed the iPod.

“If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will." -Steve Jobs

 

[Apple Macintosh 128K]

An updated iPod Classic would still sell well today

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahaahahahaah! No, no it wouldn't. Why do you think Apple stopped making them? Why do you think the only people bothering to make MP3 players anymore are the cheap Chinese no-names? Because there's no money in it. Sales of MP3 players are dead. The last several iPods didn't sell well. A new one wouldn't sell well either.

 

[JosephAW]

7th gen always looked like something you would find at a chinese street market in a plastic wrap.

We bought the Chinese version of that 4th gen clone because it had fm radio, music and video player once you converted a video with ffmpeg all from a micro sd card. Was rechargeable and could play back video for over an hour and a half on a charge.
I think we paid less than $12 per unit. Was used as a complementary gift to guest. Hard to include an instruction card because the interface wasn't intuitive. Checked amazon and is now unavailable. Originally wanted to buy a boatload of used iPhone 4 but was still pricy.

 

[ouimetnick]

I thought it was 5 years from the discontinuation date, not from the introduction date. So if Apple discontinues HomePod, it will be vintage in early 2023, and the Mid 2012 MacBook Pro 13" (non retina, with optical drive) should already be considered vintage (discontinued on 10/27/2016).

This makes no sense.
13" MacBook Pro (Optical Drive, non retina) June 11, 2012 - October 27, 2016 (not considered vintage)
7th gen iPod nano October 12, 2012 - July 27, 2017 (refreshed colors July 15, 2015) (vintage)

 

[joeblow7777]

A 2nd gen iPod Nano is the first Apple device I ever owned, so they have a special place in my heart. I especially loved the 5th gen model.

 

[E.Lizardo]

It would have a short period of sales to collectors but it wouldn't sell well. What would be the practical reason to buy an iPod classic in 2020 other than as a collector item?

Agreed. Comments insisting there is a big market for iPods crop up regularly and they are due to wishful thinking. The fact that there is virtually zero market for MP3 players of any kind should speak volumes. I love my two classics but never use them. Adults use their phone, kids want an iPod touch and would laugh at anything less. People have a tendency to think if they want or have use for something there must be a market for it. I'd love there to be a market for a number of things but sadly there just isn't.