After Apple discreetly took down the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle product pages from its website on Thursday, speculation ensued on what the future held for the devices. A spokesperson from Apple confirmed it has said goodbye to the tiny MP3 players and have officially discontinued both models, The Verge reports.
The announcement comes only a few years after Apple discontinued the iPod classic due to a lack of parts available to create the device. But this time around, the decision was more calculated. The company explained that it put an end to the Nano and Shuffle in order to simplify the iPod lineup — by now offering only the iPod Touch.
Loyal iPod users may have already seen the end coming, when it was confirmed neither the Shuffle and Nano were included in the group of devices getting Apple Music back in 2015. If you tried to sync offline tracks from Apple Music’s streaming library, you’d get stuck with an error message that read “Apple Music songs cannot be copied to an iPod.” Therefore, forcing you to stick to the traditional method of buying and downloading songs.
In terms of redesign, the Nano and Shuffle haven’t received any major updates in recent years either, other than Bluetooth support and an array of new colors. Both models were also the last of the iPod lineup to have zero internet connectivity or cell service.
Although you can no longer purchase either of the devices from Apple, there may still be some in stock at electronic stores like Best Buy until the supply runs out. To ease the pain of saying goodbye, two models of the iPod Touch are now available with double the storage. You have the option of purchasing the 32GB for $199 or for more storage capacity, there’s also the 128GB for $299. However, the 16GB and 64GB versions are no longer available for purchase.
The iPod Touch comes in different color options — similar to the Nano and Shuffle — like pink and blue along with muted colors such as space gray or silver. It also includes a 4-inch Retina display, 8-megapixel iSight camera, FaceTime HD camera, and an A8 chip built in making it faster than its predecessor.
