In an announcement that was met with abundant nostalgia and emotion, both from the company itself and from many users on social media, Apple declared that it is discontinuing the production of the iPod Touch, the iconic device that radically changed the way we listen to music 21 years ago.

Although the iPod was not the first portable MP3 device, it was the one that brought us closer to digital music and contributed to the evolution of Apple into the pioneering technology company we all know today. It first appeared on the market in 2001, with the capability to store just 1,000 tracks, with new generation devices now able to store over 90 million songs.

Designed by the same team that later created the iPhone, which could be seen as its “ancestor”, it managed within a few years to become the most popular medium for music playback, until it was overshadowed by the iPhone itself and streaming services.

Over the years of its release, various models like the Nano and Shuffle have appeared, the production of which stopped in 2017. Since 2012, Apple had begun to release fewer and fewer new iPods. The last updated model was the iPod Touch, which has not been renewed since 2019. Its latest versions even had features found in smartphones, such as the capability to take photos, send emails, and make video calls. This particular model will be available until stocks are exhausted, as stated in the company’s announcement.

The iPod was unveiled by Steve Jobs in October 2011, at one of the established Apple Events. Initially, its release goal was to push consumers towards purchasing Macintosh computers. However, the humble music player managed to create its own generation of fans and pave the way for the Apple brand to become one of the most recognized in the world.