Farewell, iPod nano and shuffle

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A pair of iconic Apple devices bite the dust as the company pulls the iPod nano and shuffle from its online retail site, three years after it stopped making the iPod classic.

iPod nanoIn fact, the dedicated websites for the nano and shuffle now redirect to the Apple Music site with no so much of a word of explanation.

“Today, we are simplifying our iPod lineup with two models of iPod touch now with double the capacity starting at just $199 and we are discontinuing the iPod shuffle and iPod nano,” an Apple statement to TechCrunch reads. As such, the iPod touch is now available in 32 and 128GB capacities, with the 16 and 64GB also no longer available.

The iPod nano has been around since 2005, with the first being a cute, shrunken-down version of the iPod classic. It was revealed by no other than the late Steve Jobs, who memorably pulled it out of his jeans coin pocket. Throughout the years it went through no less than 8 iterations, the last of which was launched in 2015. It featured a touchscreen and an admittedly awkward redesigned OS that looked like iOS but actually wasn't.

The shuffle also hit the market in 2005. As the most entry level of the iPod lineup it had no screen, and provided users with a random approach to their musical choices. It was primarily aimed at the fitness market, and as such was the first Apple device to work with the Nike+iPod health tracking system.

So, what next for the iPod? Apple appears to be all but determined to kill off the portable music player but should it? After all, Edgar Wright's recent car chase-based musical Baby Driver is an anthem to the iPod classic, with its protagonist refusing to go behind the wheel if he didn't have at least one of a selection of Apple MP3 players. One might think an iPod classic relaunch would be surefire hit, but it probably would be hardly constitute a drop in the gigantic, iPhone-driven Apple bucket.

Either way, farewell nano and shuffle. It is sad to see you go.

Go Apple Discontinues iPod nano and shuffle (TechCrunch)