Apple may not have launched any new iPods during today’s event (although you could argue that iPhones are the new iPods). But the company has gone ahead and pulled the plug on an old model.

The iPod classic is no longer available from the Apple Store. If you want to buy an iPod that doesn’t have a touchscreen, your only option is now the iPod shuffle.

ipod classic

Apple largely turned its fortunes around with the launch of the original iPod in 2001. It wasn’t the first MP3 player released, but it quickly became one of the most popular, largely thanks to its easy-to-navigate user interface, large hard drive, and integration with the iTunes music store.

The iPod classic wasn’t exactly the same as that original model, but it was the last model to draw direct inspiration from the first iPod. It sported a color display, a hardware click wheel, and hard drive storage… but Apple hadn’t updated the iPod in over 5 years, prompting many to figure its days were limited.

And they were… it stuck around longer than many expected, but now if you want an iPod classic you’re probably going to have to pick up a used or refurbished model. But odds are there are plenty of those out there. This thing has been around for over a decade, after all.

via 9 to 5 Mac

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3 replies on “Goodnight Click Wheel: Apple kills the iPod classic”

  1. At least now you can get a 128GB iPhone 6 (yeah, cheap!) and that will cover you pretty good.

  2. That’s unfortunate. These things are great for cars with the iPod interface… load up however many gigs of music, set it in the glovebox and maybe worry about syncing the music in another 6 to 12 months. Not sure there’s an immediate replacement for this, I know the car interfaces are rapidly changing but our 2012 Honda doesn’t work via USB with Android like it does iPod’s, at least not the Android devices I’ve tried. It might’ve been that it was an older SD card based model, not sure here. Regardless I ended up having to use an aftermarket Bluetooth adapter via 3.5mm auxillary for that and only a 2 year old car.

    Seems strange to get out of a market they have cornered but I guess the sales must be really low to warrant the decision.

  3. They don’t have any direct replacement for the massive capacity of the hard-drive based iPod classic. I guess Apple isn’t interested in making portable hard drives.

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