Apple announces an end of life for the iPod Touch

The first-gen iPod can be credited as a factor in Apple's rise to the top of the personal electronics market over the 20 years since its introduction. This may be why it has taken the company so long to concede that it is finally time to stop making the player's final iteration, the Touch.

The 7th-gen device may not have a clickwheel, yet remains loaded with potential early-onset nostalgia, from its 4-inch screen (with anachronistic massive bezels and forehead for its single central FaceTime camera) and Home Button, to the fact that it launched with EarPods in the box.

On the other hand, the iPod Touch was already falling behind prior to its discontinuation: it is stuck on iOS 14 (run with its aging A10 Fusion chip) and has a 32GB internal storage base model. Despite this, it still starts at US$199 on apple.com, and presumably will until the Cupertino giant finally runs out of the little legacy-status media-only devices.

Nevertheless, the iPod line (with the possible exception of the Nano) still has its fans, and can furthermore be had in colors no longer available even in new iPhones (space gray and vibrant pink included). In addition, renewed units are available on Amazon as deals that might improve steadily in the future now the iPod Touch has reached the end of its life.