Apple has officially pulled the plug on the iPod, letting the world know that when supplies are gone, this will mark the end for the product. There will be no further production of the series of media players as the company moves forward to focus on more interactive and functional technologies. Reminding the world that iTunes music (and other sources) can be accessed for so many other devices. Owning a stand-alone media player just isn’t a trend any longer thanks to phones with built-in DACs (not to mention everything else they can do).
Currently, you can find the iPod Touch on Apple’s website, which is the last surviving iPod model (most recently in production until now). You will be able to buy into it until Apple runs out. Then it is up to whatever is left in retail stores and online. Once that is tapped out, there will be nothing but used opportunities.
This was coming for a long time though. It was surprising that the iPod lasted this long as it just didn’t seem like a modern option any longer. If users wanted something limited to just music playback, there are so many other companies that dedicate their efforts to just providing portable media solutions vs having their efforts spread all over across so many devices. Companies ranging from FiiO to Astell&Kern provide higher quality solutions (hardware-wise), some of which are quite competitive in price. It’s best that Apple moves on to focus on more complex all-inclusive solutions.
However, if you still had planned on buying into an Apple iPod Touch, you might as well do it now before it’s too late. Else, you will have to fork up the cash for a smartphone that does it all. The latter of which is a better option anyway unless you want to invest in one of the hi-res solutions that come at a price that is typically much higher than the iPods ever were (like the wonderful FiiO M11 Pro).
