Apple discontinues the iPod after 21 years

Apple has announced that it is discontinuing the revolutionary iPod after 21 years.

When the first iPod launched back on October 23, 2001, it changed the way we listened to music forever.

Weighing at just 6.5-ounces, the tiny electronic had a battery life of 10 hours and was the world's first MP3 player that could store a game-changing 1,000 songs.

Fast forward nearly 21 years and music is still a huge part of Apple's business, offering over 90 million tracks and more than 30,000 playlists on its streaming service.

Credit: Alena Kravchenko / Alamy

There's a good chance that many of you reading this owned one of the various iPod models and still retain a huge amount of nostalgia for these powerful tiny beasts.

Whether your pocket was rocking the iPod Mini, the even sleeker iPod Nano, the revolutionary iPod Touch (iPod touch), or the fun-sized iPod Shuffle, there's no doubt Apple helped generations of people discover and listen to music.

Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, wrote on Twitter: "iPod was a pocket-sized revolution that transformed the music industry and brought happiness to millions – and the spirit of iPod is still with us today. It was truly a team effort to bring it to life and we are honored to play a part in Apple’s history."

Elaborating on his comments in an article on Apple's website, Joswiak said: "We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV.

"And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio — there’s no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music."

Following the news of the discontinuation, many fans of the beloved device have taken to Twitter to share their memories.

"This was my first Apple device," one person tweeted. "So many good memories connected with it. Bought it while I was in the UK for the first time in my life as a kid. Had some pocket money saved and on the first city trip got it from the first shop I saw."

A second added: "R.I.P. #iPod I still use mine regularly. I know other inventions have been far more important over time but I could never have imagined when listening to my Walkman in the 80s that one day you could have your whole collection on one device."

The company adds that the iPod Touch will still be available on apple.com, Apple Store locations, and Apple Authorized Resellers while stocks last.

Featured image credit: MikeCS images / Alamy