Hello and welcome to ZD Tech. My name is Marine Louste and today I tell you the iPod, from its glorious beginnings in the 2000s to its end announced a few days ago.
We love music! It was with this slogan that Steve Jobs launched the first iPod… 21 years ago.
But the world has changed a lot, and the iPod seems anachronistic today. So outdated that Apple decided to stop making it. When the stocks run out, the iPod will be gone. RIP.
A revolutionary walkman
However, in 2001, it was a small revolution. After the Walkman, Discman and other MP3 players – objects that people under 20 cannot know – the iPod allowed you to carry all your music in your pocket. Yes, ALL his music.
So yes, you are going to tell me that 5 GB seems ridiculous. But back then, that was 1,000 songs, or effectively “your whole music library in your pocket,” as the brand promises.
Exit then the house compilations… you know, those famous “mix tapes” that we exchanged? Exit also the briefcases full of CDs, not very practical to walk around.
Apple has “revolutionized the music industry”
The arrival of the iPod is also the arrival of iTunes, and with it the possibility of buying titles digitally. No need to go to the record store to buy your CD, and then transfer it to your walkman. We are witnessing the beginnings of dematerialized music. In the words of Steve Jobs, Apple has “revolutionized the music industry”.
At the end of 2007, the iPod became tactile. To imitate Apple’s newborn, the iPhone, released earlier this year. In fact, the iPod Touch becomes an iPhone…without a phone. No SIM card, so no number and no cellular network, but the same operating system.
Once connected via Wi-Fi, you have access to the App Store just like on your iPhone. But it’s not an iPhone. And maybe that’s the problem.
Competition from smartphones and platforms
Yes, this is the beginning of the end. Because the iPhone democratizes the smartphone. And soon, everyone has one. At the same time, uses are changing and digital music is becoming ubiquitous. Streaming services like Spotify and Deezer dominate the music landscape.
But these services, you have access to them on any smartphone. As a result, the iPod no longer finds its audience. And Apple renews its range less and less. Until planning its end.
This programmed death may revive sales of this iconic device. A last gasp before extinction?