Not so long ago, we listened to music on the go with a Walkman or portable CD player. Inevitably, you’d have to untangle the magnetically coated tape or restart your CD after going over a major bump in the road while riding in the backseat of your parent’s car. It’s hard to believe what we put up with before the MP3 music player arrived. Apple’s in particular.
The iPod wasn’t exactly the first of its kind. There were six MP3 players on the market when Apple’s player debuted. But in the first iPod promotional video, DJ and musician Moby said he owned three and couldn’t figure out how to use any of them. With the iPod, he said, “I held it, and 45 seconds later, I knew how to use it.”
The iPod may have seemed revolutionary, but it got its start back in 1979. British inventor Kane Kramer created the first digital audio player, called the IXI, which was able to play about one song. The prototype was shelved when Kramer couldn’t market it successfully, and his patent expired in 1988. Kane did get credit, though, when Apple ran up against patent issues in 2007 and brought him in to testify.
“To be honest, I was just so pleased that finally something that I had done which has been a huge success and changed the music industry was being acknowledged,” Kramer told The Daily Mail. “I was really quite emotional about it all.” But even with his place secured in digital music history, Kramer couldn’t bring himself to buy an iPod.
Millions have forked over their hard-earned money for an iPod. But the rise of the iPhone and the coming of all the music streaming subscription services (including Apple Music) cannibalized iPod. But it lives on. For now.
As the iPod turns 20, it’s a good time to reflect on the brand and how it changed through the years. And be sure to stick around for the video at the end, where we reminisce about all things iPod.
2001: 5GB iPod
Before the iPod, MP3 players were either big and unwieldy or small and useless. Steve Jobs tasked Apple Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive and a group of hardware engineers to produce an alternative that could become iconic. Developed in less than one year, the 5GB iPod5GB iPod, holding 1,000 songs, was unveiled on October 23, 2001, for $399. The name came from a freelance copyrighter who, after seeing the prototype, thought of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and the phrase “Open the pod bay door, Hal!”
When PCMag tested the iPod, we were able to transfer 523 songs in 5 minutes flat (2.3GB of music). Using a 1.8-inch hard drive compared to the competitors’ 2.5-inch drives, the iPod weighed in at 6.5 ounces and was about the size of a deck of cards. It featured a mechanical scroll wheel, a center select button, and four auxiliary buttons around the outside of the wheel. The first-gen iPod was only for Mac users.
2002: iPod 2G
About nine months after releasing the first iPod, Apple made a few minor updates and released the second-gen iPodsecond-gen iPod on July 17, 2002. The biggest addition was the ability for Windows PC users to use the device with Musicmatch Jukebox software. If 5GB wasn’t enough space to hold all your Radiohead bootleg MP3s, the new iPod bumped up the storage space to 10GB for $399. Later that year, a 20GB model was also released. For $499, it could hold 4,000 songs.
Another addition was the touch-sensitive wheel. Though the second-gen iPod looked almost identical to its predecessor, the wheel didn’t actually turn. The iPod also got a cover for the FireWire port and included software for users to store contact lists with up to 1,000 names and addresses. Apple also got a little more personal by adding the option of a custom laser engraving on the stainless-steel back.
2003: iPod 3G
Apple realized that 5GB may just not be enough room for growing music collections. Announced April 28, 2003, the third-generation iPodthird-generation iPod was offered in 10GB, 15GB, and 30GB capacities, and, five months later, 20GB and 40GB. In under two years, the iPod went from a 1,000-song capacity to a 10,000-song capacity.
Apple stopped building Musicmatch software in 2003 after iTunes 4.1 was introduced for Windows. It also introduced the iTunes Store on April 29. Over 10 million songs were sold in the store’s first four months.
The third-gen iPod was the first to offer an all-touch scroll wheel interface, as well as a dock connector and a slimmer case. The buttons also vanished from around the wheel and ended up in a row above it.
2004: iPod mini, iPod photo, iPod 4G
By January 2004, Apple had sold over 2 million iPods, staking its position as the No. 1 digital music player in the world. Apple introduced three different iPods that year: the iPod photo, in 30GB, 40GB, and 60GB capacities; the fourth-gen iPod in 20GB and 60GB models; and the 4GB iPod mini.
In homage to the iMac, the iPod mini was available in five different colors (blue, pink, silver, green, and gold), and first introduced the click wheel to the iPod family, allowing for one-handed navigation. The function buttons were moved onto the actual scroll wheel. The mini was at the time the smallest portable music player ever to hold up to 1,000 CD-quality songs, and it sold for $249.
The iPod photo, also known as iPod with color display, was released in October. It looked just like an ordinary iPod, but it had a larger hard drive capacity, the aforementioned color display, and a larger battery. It wasn’t until the next year that an iPod would be able to play movies, but users could look at photos on this color screen. Album covers were also integrated, appearing while songs played.
As for the fourth-gen iPod, the player lost its auxiliary buttons and took on the mini’s click wheel. This version also introduced the Shuffle feature, which would play a larger role in Apple’s line of iPods in later years.
2005: iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod mini, iPod 5G/Video iPod
Releasing five new iPods in 2005, Apple introduced two completely new models to the iPod family: the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle. The nano came out toward the end of 2005. Using flash memory for storage, the iPod nano was free from the worry of skipping and dead hard drives. Available in black or white, and 2GB and 4GB flavors, the nano featured a color screen and excellent sound quality. It was especially thin at 0.27 inches making it 62% smaller than the iPod mini.
“iPod nano is a full-featured iPod in an impossibly small size,” Steve Jobs said on its release. “And it’s going to change the rules for the entire portable music market.”
Also flash-based, the iPod shuffle was extremely simple with a white shell and a four-way rocker ring and play/pause button on the front. The power switch and battery-check button resided on the back. This was the first iPod to not have a display. Instead, the shuffle came with a new version of iTunes that would randomly load songs. You could choose to play them in order or have them shuffled. The near-weightless flash player, which Jobs called “smaller and lighter than a pack of gum,” had a list price of $149 for the 1GB model (240 songs) and $99 for the 512MB (120 songs) model.
This was the last time we’d ever see an update to the iPod miniiPod mini. The nano replaced it about seven months later. In addition to the miniature-sized iPods, Apple also released a fifth-gen iPod, otherwise known as the iPod with video. It featured a larger screen and a smaller click wheel. This model was the first to allow users to, naturally, play video. It was also available in black and would be the last iPod to feature a plastic face.
2006: 80GB iPod, iPod nano 2G, iPod shuffle 2G
2006 was a bit mellower. Apple released its largest-capacity iPod to date: the 80GB iPod80GB iPod, which offered a few enhancements, such as longer battery life, a brighter screen, a search feature, and support for better games. Apple also updated the nano, releasing the second-gen nano versionsecond-gen nano version, which traded in its plastic body for an eye-catching, scratch-resistant anodized aluminum casing, like that of the iPod mini. It was offered in six different colors and boasted a 40 percent brighter screen, a new search option, and gapless playback of audio files.
The iPod shuffleiPod shuffle also got a revamp, changing its look drastically from the previous year’s design. Less than half the size of its predecessor, Apple called the shuffle the “world’s smallest MP3 player.” And that was including a built-in belt clip. The power and shuffle/no shuffle switches were also separated into separate controls.
2007: iPod touch, iPod nano 3G, 160GB iPod classic
By the time 2007 rolled around, Apple had already sold 88 million iPods. The year also marked the launch of a new product that would, to put it lightly, affect iPod sales: the iPhone. Announced in January, the iPhone offered many of the same features as the iPod, but with the added functionality of being a full-fledged smartphone. People who would normally carry around an iPod and their mobile phone ditched their iPods for a mobile device that could combine both.
In September of the same year, Apple also released another item for those who didn’t want the call functionality of the iPhone but did want apps. The iPod touchiPod touch featured the same 3.5-inch multi-touch screen and Wi-Fi. iPod touch users were able to surf the Web, watch YouTube, and buy music wirelessly. At 8 millimeters, it was thinner than any other full-sized iPod, and it started at $299 for the 8GB model. Here at PCMag, we called it “probably the best portable media player ever made.”
A new shorter, wider, heavier iPod nanoiPod nano was also introduced in 2007. Featuring a 2-inch screen, the nano included video playback and support for new iPod games. If you thought the 80GB iPod introduced in 2006 offered a lot of space, Apple did one better by introducing the iPod classic in a 160GB model. Not a lot had changed from the previous year, but customers were able to snag double the memory for $349.
By the end of the year, Apple had sold 141 million iPods, thanks to the introduction of the iPod touch. But as you’ll see below, the intro of the iPhone proved the iPod’s undoing.
2008: iPod touch 2G, iPod nano 4G
In 2008, America’s No. 1 music retailer was no longer Walmart. The iTunes store surpassed the major chain, topping 5 billion songs sold. July saw the launch of Apple’s App Store, which allowed iPhone and iPod touch users to download 10 million apps in the store’s first weekend. By September, over 100 million apps had been downloaded.
Apple also updated the iPod touch and iPod nano. The second-gen iPod touch featured a thinner design, a volume button, and built-in speakers. New iOS updates also offered the App Store and Genius functions. The fourth-gen iPod nanofourth-gen iPod nano integrated Apple’s Genius playlist creation and was the first nano to include an accelerometer, which allowed you to turn the screen from vertical to horizontal. Another neat feature was that shaking the nano would play a random song.
2009: iPod shuffle 3G, iPod nano 5G, iPod touch 3G
In March 2009, Apple released the third-gen iPod shufflethird-gen iPod shuffle which introduced VoiceOver, a feature that announces song titles, and informs you when your battery needs to be recharged. The new shuffle was even smaller than its precursor. It was still missing a screen, a radio, and even controls, but the latter were embedded into Apple’s signature earbuds.
In September 2009, Apple released the first (non-touch) iPod to include a camera for photos and video. The fifth-gen iPod nanofifth-gen iPod nano boasted a larger screen than its predecessors, and a feature many iPod users had been waiting for for years: an FM radio. The nano also featured a built-in mic, a speaker, a pedometer, and the VoiceOver features of the shuffle.
The third-gen iPod touchthird-gen iPod touch came with a faster processor. It was marketed as a gaming platform to compete with the PSP and Nintendo DS. (Two years later, the iPod touch would become the No. 1 non-phone portable game player.)
2010: iPod touch 4G, iPod shuffle 4G, iPod nano 6G
With over 10 billion songs in the iTunes Store and over 5 billion downloads in the App Store, 2010 was a great year for Apple. In September, it introduced its new fourth-gen iPod touch with Retina display, making the text and images look incredibly sharp. It also was able to shoot HD videos and take high-quality photos. The touch finally featured a front-facing camera, allowing FaceTime video calling.
The shuffle and the nano also got makeovers that year. At $49, the fourth-gen iPod shufflefourth-gen iPod shuffle was the lowest-priced iPod ever. The “play/track/volume” buttons from the second-gen shuffle returned once again. Users no longer had to use the earphone controls to navigate. As for the sixth-gen iPod nanosixth-gen iPod nano, it wasn’t as well-received as nanos past. Apple traded in the nano’s click wheel for a touch screen on the super-compact display. The nano also lost its video capture and playback capability. The multi-touch screen was rotatable, and the nano also featured FM radio and Nike+ fitness features.
By September, Apple had sold 275 million iPods. But sales were in a decline (see below).
2011: iPod nano 7G, iPod touch 4G update
In October 2011, Apple announced it would keep the touch screen of the last-generation iPod nano. The physical appearance remained the same, but it made a few tweaks to the nano’snano’s user interface. The refresh included larger icons, 16 watch-face widgets, and a price drop. The new nano was also easier to navigate thanks to a feature that allowed you to swipe between icons.
The iPod touchiPod touch also got a small 2011 update. Available in black or white, it ran iOS 5, which included 200 new features, including iMessage, Notifications, and Wi-Fi Syncing to iTunes. It also worked with iCloud, Apple’s set of free cloud services.
2012: Larger Screen iPod Touch 5G, iPod nano 8G, EarPods
This year brought some nice changes to the line. First and perhaps was the redesign of the stock headphones that come with every iPod. The Apple EarPodsApple EarPods were the first major refresh of Cupertino’s signature white earbuds in 11 years, and while they couldn’t produce audiophile high-end sound, they were a major step up.
As for the iPods themselves, the theme of 2012 was: more screen. The iPod touch got the same expanded 4-inch Retina display that the iPhone 5 received, plus a faster A5 processor (making it the first dual-core iPod touch), a 5-megapixel camera, and the new Lightning dock connector. This touch only came in 32GB and 64GB models; the less expensive 8 and 16GB versions went away. New: a pop-out loop so you could attach a strap.
The nano also got bigger. It still had a touchscreen but had been completely overhauled to a rectangular 2.5-inch screen—all the better for watching HD videos (again). It was also the first nano to include Bluetooth, a pedometer, and an FM radio tuner. 16GB became standard storage across the many color options.
Special Releases: U2, Harry Potter, (PRODUCT) RED
Apple releases so many new products that it’s easy to miss some of them, especially the limited-edition versions. Apple released a Harry Potter Special Edition iPod in 2005, which featured the Hogwarts Crest laser-engraved on the back, while a 20GB Special Edition U2 iPod was released in 2004. It featured an all-black stainless-steel enclosure, a red click wheel, and custom engraving of U2 band member signatures. In 2006, Apple released a Special Edition U2 iPodSpecial Edition U2 iPod based on the fifth-gen 30GB iPod. This version came with 30 minutes of exclusive U2 video downloadable from the iTunes Music Store. Then, in November 2006, Apple announced a new (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod nano(PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod nano. For each (PRODUCT) RED iPod nano sale, Apple donates $10 to the Global Fund to help fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Apple still offers (PRODUCT) RED products (mostly iPhone cases and bands for Apple Watch) to this day.
We do not speak of the iPod+HPiPod+HP distributed by HP for a year in 2004-2005.
If you’re curious what happened with iPods in the years 2013 and 2014, not much, except Apple officially killed the iPod Classics of any capacity in September 2014, just short of a full 13 years after the player’s debut. The reason, ostensibly: Apple couldn’t get the ancient components anymore to make more. Later, the classics started to sell at crazy prices on eBay.
2015: iPod touch 6G
It only took the launch of Apple Music to spur Apple into making the latest update to the iPod touch (after incremental updates in 2013, where it got lighter, and 2014, where it got a camera upgrade and a price drop). Like the previous three years, this sixth-generation iPod touchsixth-generation iPod touch had a 4-inch Retina display with 1,136 by 640 resolution, but inside the guts were souped-up with the same A8 chip used in the iPhone 6, an 8-megapixel iSight camera, and M8 motion coprocessor to handle fitness tracking. It came in 16, 32, 64 and 128GB models, with prices that range from $199 up to $399. For colors, the backs now came in space gray, silver, gold, pink, and blue, plus a version for (PRODUCT) RED. Plus, the iPod nano and shuffle both remained for sale.
However, it would be another four years before the iPod touch got another update.
2019: iPod touch 7G
It came as a bit of a surprise in May of 2019 that Apple included the seemingly forgotten iPod brand in the announcement of its new products. After all, the company had unceremoniously killed the nano and shuffle in 2017. (Apple declared the nano “obsolete” in 2020.)
Nevertheless, there was a new model. Apple didn’t change the look or size, but the internal updates on the seventh-gen iPod touchseventh-gen iPod touch included a quad-core A10 chip (the kind used in the iPhone 7 back in 2016). It had six color options and came in three capacities (32, 128, and 256 GB) priced from $199 to $299 to $399. Wi-Fi got an upgrade to 802.11ac, and Apple claimed it had a 40-hour battery life for listening to music, or 8 hours of video viewing. The reason to put out a new iPod touch for 2019 was easy to see: The Apple Arcade games subscription service would launch that fall and the old iPods couldn’t keep up. Our review called it “the only mainstream non-cellular handheld on the market” and that it was (and is) “terrific for kids and anyone who doesn’t want a full-fledged smartphone.”
And it still has a 3.5mm headphone jack!
The iPod Future
And that for now is the end of the story for the iPod. The chart above from Statista from 2019 tells you why. There was a point during the iPod’s heyday where it was responsible for a significant percentage of Apple’s overall revenue, as high as 40%—back in 2006. Once the iPhone came out in 2007, that percentage began to dip, and iPod sales started to slip off a cliff by 2010. In 2014, Apple stopped reporting iPod sales separately at all. But hopefully, it will live on for a while as a gaming handheld for the kids not yet ready for a full phone.
Now watch: The iPod’s 20th Anniversary: A Look Back
