Apple
One of the most successful products Apple has ever made was the iPod. It was first released in 2001. It was a small device that allowed users to listen to the music they wanted on the go. But now it is 2020 and despite having Apple Music on our iPhones and even being available on Android and some smart TV?s, Apple still sells the iPod Touch.
Apple has even unlisted it as a category from their website, to find it you need to go to the music section on their website.
The iPod Touch comes in six colours and three different storage options. 32GB, 128GB and 256GB. It has a four-inch display and an A10 Fusion Chip. It also has support for the latest iOS 13 operating system. They last updated it in 2019 and not much changed from the previous generation. They did not even add any of the new features like Touch ID or Face ID.
So why does it still exist?
The answer is simple really. It is because it is not an iPhone and it is something that kids can use. Many people want to give their kids a device but don’t want to spend a thousand dollars on an iPhone. It won’t have phone and text, but they can still stay in contact with friends and family through FaceTime and iMessage. They can listen to music and play games as well. With this iPod only costing $199 it makes it perfect for kids to use because getting lost or damaged won’t be a major problem as it does not cost near as much as the iPhone. Also, by giving it to kids, it brings them into the Apple ecosystem, thus making them more likely to buy an iPhone when they are ready for an upgrade. It can also be useful for the elderly, who do not know how to or do not want to use a smartphone. It can be useful for things like FaceTime with family or listening to the music of Spotify, Apple Music or even the radio.
Another reason it still exists is that smartphones are getting bigger and more expensive each year. This becomes a problem for many as there are some circumstances where having a big phone is not practical and you need something practical. For example, app developers may find it useful to have a cheap small device that they can test their apps on. When at the gym or going for a run sometimes the big iPhone just feels too big in the pocket or on armbands and an iPhone feels better and for people who want to track things like steps keeping a small iPod can come in handy. Many people don’t like the Apple TV remote because it is so small and easily lost, so you can even use it as a remote for the Apple TV remote or even remote for most TV boxes or sticks that support it.
As you can see the iPod Touch still has many uses mainly when having something really big and expensive is simply just not practical. It can even be handy for kids and the elderly who do not need all of the functionality of an iPhone, just something that does a few basic tasks.
Will Apple make a new one? Probably not, but nobody was expecting them to release an updated version in 2019, so who knows.
Thank you for reading.
