Bye bye iPods

There’s but one iPod left, and we’re writing its eulogy now. Gather around, here’s our nod to the ’Pod. We had some fun times with that Click Wheel and it will be missed. Till then, tune into your phones

Arguably, last week’s biggest tech news was Apple dropping a bomb — though, seriously speaking, it wasn’t really that much of a surprise, come to think of it. It was a classic example of the adage, not if but when.

Apple’s official statement on July 27 was this: “We are simplifying our iPod line-up with models of iPod Touch now with double the capacity... and we are discontinuing the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano.”

Read: we’re another step closer to seeing an iconic product get completely devoured by innovation.

And that’s the painful reality of the world we live in today: something will be replaced, quite possibly permanently, sooner or later.

The iPod Nano and Shuffle were ditched because — well, admit it — there probably was no need for them anymore. Not with the iPhone around.

And speaking of the iPhone and the only remaining Apple music player, the Touch, it will probably only be a matter of time before we see it go as well: remember, the latter is practically the former, sans calling through a cellular network (and no, there is no iPod with a cellular option).

The original iPod debuted on October 23, 2001, though I only got to see it up close some time in 2005, from a colleague at The Financial

Times’ unit in Manila. And like many, I was impressed with its signature Click Wheel; it was a work of both tech and aesthetic art, a musthave for music junkies. Apparently, Apple found digital music players at that time ‘big and clunky or small and useless’ (some powerful words there) and ‘unbelievably awful’ (even more powerful ones; I wonder how the competition reacted to that), so the late Steve Jobs set his plans in motion to change all of the above.

In Apple’s Press release back then, he proclaimed that they’ve “invented a whole new category of digital music player,” and “listening to music will never be the same again”.

Boy, did they really change the game. And the existence of iTunes, which, as PC World described, “showed the record companies the right way to market digital music,” only helped the iPod’s appeal (though piracy still remains a huge problem).

Having an iPod was a statement. Flashy. Status symbol. Cool. In tune with the times (pun intended).

There are a total of 26 iPod models: seven for the Classic (we count Photo and Colour as one each), two for the Mini, seven for the Nano, four for the Shuffle and six for the last ’Pod standing, the Touch.

While the Classic was the first to be sent to tech heaven on September 9, 2014 (the same day the iPhone 6 was officially seen on Earth), the Mini was actually the first one to be, let’s just say, ‘retired’ on September 7, 2005 — and I didn’t use a morbid term there because it was actually replaced by the Nano, so it was still alive in spirit.

Then came last week’s news. It was the biggest — and last — news for the Nano and Shuffle since their last updates, which, in case you lost track, was ages ago: the last updates for those devices were in October 2012 and September 2010, respectively.

The Touch, meanwhile, received its last boost in July 2015 when it got the A8 chip — two versions behind the present A10 (Fusion, for good measure).

Now we wouldn’t blame anyone who’d be thinking, I wonder when Apple will finally let go of the Touch. Sooner or later. That’s the only answer. Question: how many people using iPods have you seen lately?

Probably one of the last remaining reasons to get an iPod is when you’re working out and/or (especially) running, when one needs a lighter device while actively moving around.

And with the arrival of the AirPods, who needs a separate music device when you can listen to your beats on your iPhone at, say, the gym? Lift weights, do aerobics or run until you cramp on the treadmill — all while enjoying music with your smartphone (the AirPods also work with Android devices, ICYMI) within Bluetooth distance.

Let’s repeat that again: who needs a separate device?

For the purists and die-hards of Apple, this is, to a certain extent, a bitter pill to swallow, because they and we know that the inevitable will happen, and it’s just a matter of time. But even purists and die-hards should accept the fact that that’s how the digital life goes: in this case, the iPhone is basically eating up the iPod’s capabilities — and it has done so for quite a long time now.

When that day comes, the iPod will join a long list of products that have kicked the bucket. PalmPilots. Google Reader. Adobe PageMaker. Polaroid film. Adobe Flash (coming ‘soon’). Planters Cheez Balls (oh bring it back, darn it!). BlackBerry, long thought to have left the building, is hanging in there, while Nokia just enjoyed a revival of sorts.

This is very much different from, say, when Sony killed off the PlayStation 1 and 2, or when Apple, Samsung and the rest of the smartphone gladiators pulled the plug on their older smartphones — at least there were new replacements in the works, keeping the line alive and well.

It’s always painful to say goodbye to something that’s meant a lot, something that’s changed an aspect of our existence. But, as the only thing constant in this world is change, we must be ready for any eventuality.

There’s nothing to feel bad about. As a matter of fact, just look at it this way: the iPod — like any other thing, especially the successful ones — set the stage for more innovation not just within Apple, but for the industry in general.

On October 16, the iPod will be celebrating its 16th birthday. How about one last hurrah for it, Apple?

The iPod Nano and Shuffle were ditched because — well, admit it — there probably was no need for them anymore. Not with the iPhone around. Question: how many people using iPods have you seen lately?