Apple stopped production of the iPod in 2017. There are several reasons why the company made this decision:
- Declining sales: The iPod’s sales had been declining for several years as more consumers switched to smartphones, which offered similar music-playing capabilities. This made it harder for Apple to justify continuing to produce the iPod.
- Competition: As the market for MP3 players became more crowded, it became increasingly difficult for the iPod to stand out from the competition. Other companies were offering similar products at lower prices, making it harder for Apple to maintain its market share.
- Shift in focus: Apple began to shift its focus to other product lines, such as the iPhone and the iPad, which offered more growth potential and higher profit margins.
- The rise of streaming services: The rise of streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and others, made it less necessary for consumers to own a dedicated music player like the iPod.
- Cost cutting: discontinuing the iPod allowed Apple to cut costs in terms of production, marketing, and R&D.
For customers, Apple offered a software solution to continue to use the music they already have on their iPods. The company provided an iTunes program that allows users to transfer music and other content from their iPod to their computer, which then can be used to sync it to iPhone or iPad.
Customers who still own an iPod can continue to use it to listen to music, watch videos, and even play games, but they will not receive any new software updates or technical support. Apple also recommends users to use the iTunes program to back up their files as a precaution.
