Apple CEO Tim Cook clarified the recent decision to quietly remove the iPod classic from sale earlier this year during a talk tonight at Wall Street Journal’s WSJD Live conference. According to the executive, some parts needed to manufacture the device were no longer available, and the cost of engineering a new version that didn’t require those parts wasn’t worth the effort due to low user demand.
The device vanished without a mention from Apple’s website last month following a redesign of the company’s website immediately after the iPhone 6 debut. It was the last device Apple still sold that used the “legacy” 30-pin connector, while all other iPod models have moved onto the Lightning connector.
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Saw the safari notification end with “unavailability of new parts, engineering new version…” and was ultimately disappointed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdEQmpVIE4A
There will always be a place in our hearts for the iPod. It was so amazing! But touchscreen cell phones make more sense as music players. I have a 160 gb but I don’t use it because I use bluetooth headphones.
I have a 30-pin connector Bluetooth dongle for my iPod 160 Classic and it works pretty well. I think it shortens the battery life a bit but that’s about it. I mainly use plug-in ear phones and only occasionally use the Bluetooth dongle. Since the dongle plugs into the 30-pin connector the headphones can control the iPod. I also have Bluetooth dongle that plugs into the ear phone port but that doesn’t allow any control from the headphones. You still have to use the click-wheel to change tracks and such.
Makes sense.
“This is the phone we’ve been waiting for!”
~ Pres. B. Ebola
Never liked iPods, myself. Back in the 2000 or so day, I opted for J-something players that used 16MB (yes, MB) SD-like cards. I could fit about 6 or 7 songs on each one which was a PITA, but the form factor and rubberized coating was nice. Now, phones have reached a point with storage, audio processing and streaming such as Pandora, that I’m not sure even who has been buying iPods for the last 5 years except maybe tweens who weren’t to be trusted with phones?
Anyway, a little sad to see the demise of the old spinning HDD iPod.
Honestly its understandable. Considering the hard drive is an IDE connector. Which manufacturer still manufactures IDE HDD’s? They’ve been replaced with SATA connectors. Thats the shortage of the part!
Farewell and adieu, you might giant! We’ll miss you! :) Lets see when they are going to cut off the “new” iPod. I guess it’s only a matter of time. Less and less people are willing to spend some $200-300 for something that they can get with their phone for $500. Nonetheless, I believe that the Nano will survive for some time, due to its usability for sport activities. They can make it even better and thinner!
P.S. Or maybe in the future when they realize that 3.5 jack is way too fat, they’ll get rid off the cable and use Bluetooth headphones. Then they’ll start using the Watch instead of Nano? 2018-2020 maybe?
I hope not about the headphones. Having to charge headphones along with my device just sounds like a pain. Plus, I can get a pair of 3.5 jack headphones at a dollar store that work in a pinch, like when I’ve lost my other headphones. Also, my analog headphones, both Apple ones and third-party ones, have gone through the washing machine and dryer in pockets many times, and come out still working fine. Good luck immersing and then scorching a bluetooth device.
I wish my iPhone one day has a back as shiny as the first iPods.
So cool, just like a Zippo.
I think there’s a market for the iPod should they create a new one.
Make it thinner and lighter. Put an A7 chip in it with a retina display (same size as it is at the moment)
Stick some big ass 5000 mAh battery in it to last for weeks.
Add the usual lighting connector, wifi for iCoud access and Bluetooth for speakers, headphones and air play.
And lastly stick a 500gb flash drive in there.
Price it at £199. It will sell.
Since a 5000 mAh battery alone weighs more than an iPod classic, since 500 GB of storage alone costs more than 199 pounds, since Wi-fi would be a nightmare to join with just a scrollwheel to input passwords, and since a 64-bit A7 is hilarious overkill to do what a 10 year old iPod processor is already doing just fine, I’m gonna go ahead and say your idea is unlikely to come about.
With the exception of the battery and capacity, though, you pretty much just described an iPod touch, hence why the iPod classic market has largely vanished.
I bought a 160GB version last year, fearing that Apple would kill it in 2013. I use it with my car head unit as it’s very convenient to keep it wired up (and tucked away in the glovebox) and updated with my music collection.
Yes, I can connect the head unit to my iPhone via bluetooth – but my iPhone can’t keep all my music on it like my iPod can.
RIP, classic iPod. You spawned a whole industry.
BS.: Apple didn’t stop making the iPod Classic because they ran out of parts. This move was planned long, long ago. There is still a market for it. This would not be pursued, however, because any market that a new, updated iPod would bring in would cannibalize purchases of higher-margin items like the iPhone.
Yeah, it has nothing to do with 1.8″ hard drives no longer being in production. Conspiracies are way more fun to believe.
Has anyone had problems syncing their iPod with the new iTunes 12? I tried to put a recent download onto my 5th Gen iPod quickly before having to leave on a trip, but couldn’t get the device to show up on iTunes.
It’s too bad, but not surprising.
Most people expected that Apple was going to discontinue this model. I ran out a bought a couple of the 160GB classics a few weeks before the news to get a good price. Since the announcement the Classics have become ridiculously expensive on eBay.The huge storage and long battery life makes the a must have when I travel. I don’t mind having the Classic tucked in my backpack or briefcase. It doesn’t weight that much, and it’s a great way to disconnect from the phone and other distractions.