Kenzie Ruge

The iPod was a groundbreaking device of its time, but new technology has rendered it obsolete.

Apple recently announced the “death” of the iPod, a nostalgic yet slightly outdated gadget acclaimed for its portable music. Apple will no longer manufacture this music-playing device, and it will only remain on sale while supplies last. 

Though the iPod’s death was only just announced, its social disappearance occurred much longer ago. With technology emerging so rapidly, smartphones and tablets quickly replaced the iPod. Consumers enjoyed the multifunctionality and limitlessness of these devices over the single-function impracticality of the iPod. 

Junior Leila Assadi also felt the impracticality of the iPod compared to more modern technology. “iPods definitely were impactful at the time, but they had no lasting purpose. They introduced some new features but having a phone is a huge improvement,” she stated. 

But that is not to erase the cultural significance of the iPod. The iPod was a groundbreaking device due to its portability and storage. No longer were consumers stuck in one spot listening to the same songs on a cassette; they were free to take their pocketable device anywhere and listen to hundreds of songs. 

Junior Shobini Iyer remembered her positive experiences using the iPod. “My first Apple device was the iPod 3G. At the time it was very convenient – not to mention groundbreaking for a device to hold that many songs. It was really a device about freedom, and that’s why it was so appealing for so many people. The device allowed anyone to listen to music anywhere, and that ensured its success until today,” she stated. 

The sleek design and aesthetic flow of the iPod led to Apple’s grand success in the electronics industry. Apple introduced shuffle and playlists as well as making smaller and smaller versions of this device. The concept was very appealing to the masses, equating the iPod to the modern smartphone in terms of widespread sale. 

But what led to the decline of the iPod?

Ultimately, technology progressed at a faster rate than the iPod could maintain. The introduction of smartphones, which had no limits on songs and fulfilled a multitude of other purposes the iPod lacked, quickly ran the iPod out of business. 

Iyer explained her rationale between the switch from iPod to iPhone. “The fact that there was even a limit on the number of songs we could listen to seems so backwards now. It just goes to show how boundless the limits of technology are. We progressed past the iPod so quickly, exemplifying our exponential growth in the technology industry,” she stated. 

But with such an iconic device to many young adults’ childhoods, the iPod is sure to be missed. The nostalgia and lightheartedness associated with this tiny device brings back fond memories of times before the over complications of technology. Though the iPod will forever be an iconic staple for millennials and Gen Z, its reign of musical monarchy is over.