Apple discontinues iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle

It was almost three years ago that the iPod Classic joined the big technology graveyard in the sky, and now the iPod Nano and Shuffle are following suit.

Apple has quietly removed the relevant product pages from its website and store, redirecting the links to a page on Apple Music.

In a statement to the Verge, Apple said: "Today, we are simplifying our iPod lineup with two models of iPod touch now with double the capacity starting at just $199 and we are discontinuing the iPod shuffle and iPod nano."

This leaves the iPod Touch as the sole surviving iPod. The Touch, unlike the Nano and Shuffle, offers the full Apple iOS experience, with web browsing, apps and all that good stuff.

The iPhone and the smartphone market as a whole has negated the need to own a dedicated portable music player for many people, with only hi-res music players somewhat stemming the tide for some consumers.

Apple hadn't updated these products since the latest iPod Nano back in 2012, so it's fair to say this doesn't come as a huge shock.

Nevertheless, if you do want to spare your phone's battery and storage space by buying something just for music, there's now a lot less choice from Apple.

Read more:

Best portable music players

R.I.P. iPod Classic

High-resolution audio: everything you need to know

iPhone 7 Plus review

iPod Touch review

Best iPod alternatives

Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is Content Director for T3 and What Hi-Fi?, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for more than 15 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).