Recently, Apple has discontinued the iPod Classic, an MP3
player containing a hard drive that was known for its relatively high level of
storage, allowing users to store up to 160 GB of music on the device. This
device is particularly popular amongst music fanatics like myself, as it allows
us to store a large number of albums and songs on it, much more so than any
iPod Touch or iPhone. However, the market trend has been steadily moving away from
iPods and into iPhones and streaming services, meaning that the iPods that are
still in existence have lower storage capacity and in the case of the iPod
Touch essentially act like an iPhone without the actual phone. Apple’s Tim Cook
has said that the real reason behind the discontinuation is that the company
could not source the parts required to make iPod Classics any more, a
surprising move considering that one would think Apple could easily figure out
how to get something like that done. As this article points out, the more likely scenario is just that continuing to make them wasn’t looking
profitable any longer, even if they tried to create an updated iPod Classic. It
is clear that consumers no longer value high storage capacity and/or
“ownership” of their music, choosing instead to download single songs instead
of albums and also to listen to streaming services, which for many people have
rendered iPods moot. (Not to mention many consumers simply listening to music
through their iPhones instead.)
For me, this is all unsurprising but also rather sad, as
hard drive-based iPods generally don’t have the longest lifespan, especially
compared to more recent flash drive-based iPods. I continue to use my iPod
Classic, but it’s not going to last forever, and I will have to figure out a
new way to listen to my large library of music eventually. iPod Touches and
iPhones simply don’t have near enough storage capacity to interest me as purely
music-listening devices, and while I enjoy Spotify, I like having a player that
allows me to listen without having to rely upon an internet connection or a
paid subscription. In all honesty, the iPod in total might be phased out in the
future, as iPhones have the same storage capacity with the added benefit of
more features. I like having an MP3 player that allows me to “escape” the world
around me and just listen; with my phone, whenever I try to listen to music I
also find myself on Facebook or playing a game; it sort of cheapens the
listening experience. My hope is that there will be an emphasis on larger
storage capacity in future iterations of the iPod Touch, but the price will
likely be exorbitant if that is to be the case. Of course, iPod Classics aren’t
completely gone. If you would like to buy one, just check Amazon! Albeit at an
increased price of about $500. No one said loving music came cheap.
