Say it ain't so! Apple has been shuffling its website around during its annual WWDC developer conference and has officially removed the iPod tab, which has been a staple at the top of the site for over 13 years.
Does this mean Apple is gearing up to pull the plug on the beloved iPod once and for all? It could. We haven't seen a new iPod since 2012, and the classic wheel-based pod that started it all was officially killed last year. I'd quote sales charts to showcase the device's decline, but Apple stopped reporting those sales in 2015's first quarter. Rumors say we may see an update to the iPod this year, but so far that's just speculation.
The iPod page is still on the site, but it's tucked away deep under the new Apple Music tab, Apple's new music streaming service introduced Monday.
iMemories
Since its 2001 release, the iPod undeniably set Apple on an elevated path to stardom, and changed the tech game forever. Along with the iPhone, most would say it's one of the most important tech innovations of the 21st century thus far.
Its descendent, the iPhone, has proved to be the iPod's undoing, holding all the same capabilities of the old pocket music player and more. Truthfully, the only iPod that could have survived the cannibalism of the iPhone was likely the iPod Classic solely for nostalgic reasons, but it had to be discontinued due to component complications.
The times they are a changin' for Apple. It's hard to imagine Cupertino without an iPod in its line, but with no new entries in nearly three years, it's not looking hopeful in the long run for the device that revolutionized tech and music, even if it does get an update this year. If this really is the beginning of the end for the iPod, it's been a good ride, with some truly uncomfortable headphones included.
