Apple's iPod Says Goodbye for Good. How Did It Change Music?

Apple said the iPod Touch will be available only "until supplies last", signaling extinction for the portable media player that served as the bridge between CDs and streaming content as we know it.

Introduced in 2001 as a white, handheld slab with a clickable wheel for controls, the original iPod made it possible for consumers to carry dozens of CDs in their pocket. 

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The iPod also established Apple devices as accessories and status symbols -- they're sleek, expensive and ahead of the pack. For those on the road, the musc doesn't "skip" unlike CDs.

The current iPod touch is essentially a small iPhone with a home button minus the phone functions and an Instagram-ready camera. 

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What eventually killed the iPod is the shift to digital media to streaming from ownership.

The iPod won't work outside of a WiFi router's range, unlike an iPhone. This means Spotify and Netflix won't be able to play unsaved media. It's a device that is not as useful as the iPhone or an iPad or an Android device when you rely solely on mobile internet.

“Today, the spirit of iPod lives on. We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio — there’s no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music," said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.