End of an era.

Apple's iconic iPod Touch has been discontinued, spelling the end of an era for the manufacturer. The device that began as an essential distraction for any long trip, and then ushered in the start of the smartphone era will no longer have new iterations each year. Previous versions of iPod such as Shuffle, Nano, and Classic have been discontinued for a number of years, but the iPod Touch had persevered as an alternative to the iPhone. Apple announced the move to cease development of new iPods on Tuesday (10 May). “Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry — it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to, and shared,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “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.” Apple have said that the latest version of the iPod Touch is still available to buy in stores, but only "while stocks last". The iPod was first released in October 2001, with a 5GB hard drive that boasted it could hold over 1,000 songs. As technology improved, iPods developed year on year, with the ability to watch videos on the go implemented in 2005. The device can also be given credit as a factor for the popularity of podcasts today, allowing listeners to download episodes of their favourite shows and listen on the go. It's estimated that the iPod sold over 450 million units since its introduction.