Apple is gearing up to unveil the latest incarnation in its popular smartphone family. The iPhone 5S is expected to debut alongside the low-cost iPhone C and iOS 7 on Sept. 10 at a press event at the company's headquarters in Calif. Believe it or not, this will have an effect on the world-famous iPods.
"I don't see Apple investing any more into the iPod classic, even just to upgrade the connector," Forrester analyst Charles Golvin told WIRED.
"It's been a couple of years since the iPod classic has been updated," said Gazzelle.com's chief gadget officer Anthony Scarsella. "We can assume it will be phased out, unless we see it updated on September 10th."
The one thing Apple would be losing in its product line, were it to let the iPod classic die, is the ability to offer customers mass storage. The current iPod classic, introduced in 2009 offers 160 GB of storage, which equates to about 40,00 songs. If Apple doesn't come up with an alternative, it will be turning its back on an idea that's been with the company since the beginning and has helped revolutionize the way people listen to music. Users won't be able to keep their entire music collection on a mobile device right in their pocket or purse.
"Honestly, I think it's time for [the iPod classic] to be retired," Boundless app CEO Ariel Diaz said. "It may be serving a small space for lots of music in a compact package, but it's already an antiquated notion as we move to a world of streaming music instead of local MP3s and AACs."
The iPod concept will likely be with users forever, however the actual device is losing its place in the world as users have been steadily opting for the iPhone for their music storage since sales of the device peaked in December 2008.
Tell us what you think. Are you ready for the iPod Classic to die, or do you think the click-wheel is due for a comeback? Comment and share your thoughts below.
