In 2017, the Cupertino-based company discontinued the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle models, leaving only the iPod Touch as the sole music player still sold in the Apple Store. The sixth-generation iPod Touch was launched worldwide in 2015 alongside the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.
Major iPod Introductions
| Model | Announced | Price |
|---|
| iPod photo | October 2004 | $499, $599 |
| iPod shuffle | January 2005 | $99; $149 |
| Second-generation iPod mini | February 2005 | $199, $249 |
| iPod nano | September 2005 | $199, $249 |
At a Glance. The iPod touch is Apple's only iPod running iOS, offering access to the App Store and the same 4-inch Retina display found on the company's iPhone 5 and 5s. The iPod touch was updated on May 28, 2019, with an A10 Fusion chip and storage options up to 256 GB.
Back in late 2014, not long after Apple discontinued the iPod Classic, there were reports of sealed, first-generation iPods selling for $20,000—and one rare model sold for $90,000. And if you were wondering: Sure enough, old iPhones can also be quite valuable.
7 things to buy instead of the new iPod Touch
- Super-cheap, tiny MP3 player: SanDisk Clip Jam.
- Cheap, tiny Spotify player: Mighty Vibe.
- An Android 'media player': Moto G7 Play.
- Similar, touchscreen MP3 player: Sony Walkman NW-A45.
- Hi-Fi MP3/high-res music player: Astell & Kern Super Junior.
- Big-screen iOS device for just a bit more cash: Apple iPad.
Apple is bidding goodbye to the only remaining iPods dedicated primarily to playing music. Three years after the tech giant stopped selling its iconic classic iPod, Apple is now reportedly discontinuing two of that product's less-expensive spin-offs, the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle.
What is the best alternative to iPod Shuffle by Apple?
- NWZ-B183F MP3 Player by Sony. All. Top Pro. Very compact and lightweight.
- M3 8GB mp3 Player by FiiO. All. Top Con. Inconvenient file navigation.
- Clip Sport 8GB MP3 Player by SanDisk. All. Top Con.
Using The Apple iPod Shuffle Without iTunes
- Download the iShuffle ZIP.
- Unzip it and copy the "iShuffle.exe" application to the root of your iPod Shuffle (%IPOD_ROOT%/iShuffle. ext).
- Copy and paste your desired MP3s into the Music folder in the root of your iPod Shuffle (%IPOD_ROOT%/Music/).
- Run iShuffle.exe (located in the root of your iPod Shuffle).
Connect your iPod Shuffle to your computer using the USB dock cable that came with the device. Launch iTunes and click your iPod's Shuffle under the Devices heading. Click the radio button next to “Entire music library” or “Selected playlists, artists, albums and genres," depending on the songs you want to download.
The iPod line up is not what it used to be though, with the majority of Apple's music player models having been discontinued. A new iPod touch was launched in May 2019 and is the only iPod that Apple sells.
Launch the iTunes application and click your iPod Shuffle on the list of devices under the Devices heading. Click the “Summary” tab and click “Manually manage music.” Open your music library or playlist and drag and drop content onto the icon for your iPod Shuffle under the Devices heading.
You can use the Messages app on your iPod touch to send and receive instant text messages with other iOS devices (such as iPhones, iPads, and other iPod touches) and Macs running Mountain Lion or newer operating systems. Unlike cellphone texting (SMS and MMS), iMessage is completely free and works over Wi-Fi.
People with low or no vision have long been champions of the iPod touch because it's a low-cost screen reader. The iPod touch is worth buying, even if you already own an iPhone. I've heard a lot of people say that the iPod touch is obsolete and isn't worth buying if you already have a smart phone.
You can use FaceTime on any of these devices on Wi-Fi: iPhone 4 or later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad 2 or later, iPad mini (all models), and iPod touch 4th generation or later (only iPod touch 5th generation or later support FaceTime audio calling).
The End of the iPod Shuffle
After 12 years on the market, Apple discontinued the iPod Shuffle in July 2017. Even though there are no new models, the Shuffle still a great device for many users. Even better, it can be found both new and used for attractive prices.Apple said on Thursday it is discontinuing the iPod Shuffle and Nano, marking the company's continuing commitment to its flagship iPhone product. Two models of the iPod Touch will still be available, Apple said, starting at $199 with double the capacity they had before.
Pricing for the revamped iPod Touch starts at $199 for the 16GB model. From there, it's $249 for the 32GB, $299 for the 64GB and $399 for the 128 GB model.
