iPod iPod Classic.. Is this the last of it?

[Lesser Evets]

I feel eventually Apple will just quietly remove it.

One day it will be removed, but since there is no need to develop it, it will probably remain until the iPod Touch can his an SSD with over 128GB. That day isn't too far off, since the iPad now has 128GB and iPhones/iPTs will soon follow.

2015, perhaps, it will be silently discontinued.

 

[Altemose]

I think the Classic is a dying breed. I love the line but as was mentioned earlier, SSDs are not that far off from that storage capacity. It is probably going to be like the classic MacBook Pro, it supplements the newer models in the line up but is out of date by quite awhile.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Does anyone believe or have any information on the iPod Classic? Specifically, will it be discontinued or updated? Or will Apple run it for another year as is?

I still have my iPod Classic/video 30gb that I bought in 2005. Although it's still runnin, I have a feeling it won't live much longer and I want to make sure I have a Classic before Apple discontinues them. Should I buy now or wait?

You should wait. Personally I'm hoping Apple will pull a Mac pro and realease something new before it dies completely, but I'm not holding my breath. Even if it does get discontinued, you should still be able to purchase them at retail stores or online for another couple of months before they disappear completely.

 

[Altemose]

The existing stock is going nowhere fast and that is probably why Apple did not do any changes recently. I have seen the same iPods sit at a local store for months at a time before just one iPod Classic was sold as iPod Touches flew off the shelves. Sadly enough, people are now focused on streaming rather than local storage. I am not for one or the other as they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

[Infinus.gold]

Smart Phones does it all...
may be apple will update nano version from time to time..

 

[Msail30bay]

……… seems a bit sad that they MIGHT/WILL get rid of it, so that means I either get a new one or replace the battery on my old 80gb…… probably I can get an additional 6+ years out of it. LOVE LOVE the click-wheel, classic and tasteful. I'm hoping ……. that they WILL keep it, BUT update it so that it will be lighter, thinner, increased storage….. 256(?), sleeker looking, and a larger screen - maybe a Retina display one…….. maybe some improved features……. keep the Click-wheel please!!!

Wishful thinking? Perhaps, but a boy can only dream……………………….

 

[0007776]

I feel eventually Apple will just quietly remove it. It goes back to 2010 when Steve Jobs said we upgraded our entire iPod line and didn't mention the Classic and it was not upgraded. There is probably nobody assigned to the iPod classic reboot at Apple.

I'm thinking they will just keep it as it is until they are selling so few of them that it is no longer worth producing them and then they will get rid of it once the remaining stock is sold out. I had been thinking they might give it an update to standardize on the lightning connector, but since they haven't done that yet I'd be surprised if we do ever see even that. It probably has a few more years, but the market for a stand alone mp3 player is getting smaller and smaller as more people get smartphones, and I don't see there being enough of a market for it to be profitable in a couple years even without the R&D costs of a new design.

 

[Altemose]

I really hope Apple keeps it or pulls an iPod Nano 3rd Gen. with ample storage. Many people stream, which is fine in practice. However, if you live in the sticks with limited cell service or internet bandwidth, streaming is next to impossible. I love local storage, but also employ the use of cloud services as a great backup measure.

Right now I have Spotify running rather than iTunes. Would I bother with it all the time, absolutely not. I keep all my songs and movies local on my iPhone. I feel that the Classic will be needed for a while longer as cellular bandwidth gets more and more pricy.

 

[tee-tz]

Agree that the discontinuation of the iPod Classic is inevitable; most likely as soon as SSD capacity can meet or exceed the capacity of the iPod Classic. However, from a cost perspective, I can have just about my entire music library in my car for $249. Compare that to a 'possible' $499 for a 128-GB iPod Touch and you realize what wonderful value the iPod Classic provides.

So I'd like the iPod Classic remain even if they launch a 128-GB iPod Touch this year, unless of course the price comes further down.

 

[Inhalant]

Hurry up, iPod Classic with 512GB ssd storage, cloud streaming, and the bulky, durable design we all demand! We're waiting on you.

 

[BenGieCruz]

Hurry up, iPod Classic with 512GB ssd storage, cloud streaming, and the bulky, durable design we all demand! We're waiting on you.

There's got to be something coming from apple since the new ponomusic joint seems like it will take off soon....

 

[Ingster]

Got to admit, I still love and rock my ipod 5.5 gen, i've finally got a car that will play music from it to the stereo!!! Sad I know but having the option to choose any of my hundreds of albums at the spur of the moment, or passing it to a passenger on a roadtrip for them to be the DJ for the journey, is great, even doing the sometimes embarrasing music shuffle then rocking out with the tune (Recently did this when Cliff Richard's Wired for Sound track came on!!) is the great bit my wife's got her 32G 3rd gen touch with music on for her car, but we don't have everything, and finding that old album you used to rock out with when you were younger is a great feeling after an awful day at work.

Plus whoever designed the music app for ios both ios 6 and 7 needs shooting!

 

[Yaboze]

I love my Classic. A new one with the same shape, storage and wheel would be awesome if it had Wifi and a lightning connector.

If they do phase it out, maybe they'll lower the price and I'll grab another one before they're gone.

 

[0007776]

There's got to be something coming from apple since the new ponomusic joint seems like it will take off soon....

Or Apple may just decide that the stand alone music player market is now to small to be worth competing in.

 

[gnasher729]

I think the Classic is a dying breed. I love the line but as was mentioned earlier, SSDs are not that far off from that storage capacity. It is probably going to be like the classic MacBook Pro, it supplements the newer models in the line up but is out of date by quite awhile.

Demand is going down, obviously, but I suppose it makes money for Apple, and there will be enough of a market for it for a very long time. It's not as if they have to invest anything. There is still someone out there making floppy disk drives and floppy disks, and they wouldn't do that if they didn't make money. Of course the production team has moved from a huge plant to a large plant to a small plant and will eventually end up in a small corner in the small plant but as long as Apple makes money from it...

I could imagine that eventually someone will build an SSD that is 100% compatible with the drive in the Classic for a lower price, because there is very little call for these tiny hard drives, and then they'll switch to SSD.

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Or Apple may just decide that the stand alone music player market is now to small to be worth competing in.

Apple isn't just competing in that market. Check out Amazon. There is nobody but Apple selling any 64GB+ players.

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Agree that the discontinuation of the iPod Classic is inevitable; most likely as soon as SSD capacity can meet or exceed the capacity of the iPod Classic. However, from a cost perspective, I can have just about my entire music library in my car for $249. Compare that to a 'possible' $499 for a 128-GB iPod Touch and you realize what wonderful value the iPod Classic provides.

You can get that by buying a very cheap laptop

Or a portable DVD player that plays MP3 DVDs, you can fit about 90 CDs at 128 KBit on a single DVD. (Tried that once at home: Converted about 90 albums, burnt a DVD, put it into my DVD player and they actually appeared and played. Never actually used it after that, but it worked).

 

[tee-tz]

You can get that by buying a very cheap laptop

Or a portable DVD player that plays MP3 DVDs, you can fit about 90 CDs at 128 KBit on a single DVD. (Tried that once at home: Converted about 90 albums, burnt a DVD, put it into my DVD player and they actually appeared and played. Never actually used it after that, but it worked).

Yeah, but a laptop doesn't integrate cleanly with my car. My car has an iPod adapter and all I had to do is plug and it and go. While playing my car chargers it; it's small and lightweight (so it doesn't take up much room in the glovebox), and finally, it's easy to move from one car to another.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

There's nothing in the refurb store! I checked because I apparently managed to get one of those pressure spots on the LCD. Opening it up to change the display terrifies me Plus I've had it since Christmas 06. I might have to save up for a backup 160gb. I don't need all that space currently since I have about 30gb of music and movies loaded. But my media collection grows every year. I also have my iphone, and it seems silly to have an iPod Touch that could do exactly the same stuff over wifi. I kind of wish there was a higher capacity nano.

 

[AppleDApp]

There's nothing in the refurb store! I checked because I apparently managed to get one of those pressure spots on the LCD. Opening it up to change the display terrifies me Plus I've had it since Christmas 06. I might have to save up for a backup 160gb. I don't need all that space currently since I have about 30gb of music and movies loaded. But my media collection grows every year. I also have my iphone, and it seems silly to have an iPod Touch that could do exactly the same stuff over wifi. I kind of wish there was a higher capacity nano.

Get one used I bought my 160 gb classic for 100$ last year.

 

[braddick]

^
That's a sweet deal! I purchased one here in the forums last week for $140., but then again it is mint.

 

[h1r0ll3r]

^
That's a sweet deal! I purchased one here in the forums last week for $140., but then again it is mint.

I too bought a mint used one off the marketplace forum a year or so ago for about $160 I think? 160GB is still chugging along nicely now but the free space is slowly getting smaller and smaller

Wish Apple would give the Classic one last hurrah and come out with like a 500GB SSD version or something. Long shot but, hey, would be nice. I'm sure if they labeled it a Limited Edition or something like that, It'd sell out pretty quickly.