Iconic.

Why did the classic EarPods look so much cooler than AirPods? Or are we just getting old?

Apple have officially discontinued the iPod. We lived through several generations of the Classic, Touch, Shuffle, Mini and Nano.

The first iPod was unveiled in October 2001. It was the first portable MP3 player that could store 1000 songs in its 5GB storage, and had a 10-hour battery life. At the time, being able to carry and listen to your entire music collection in your pocket was revolutionary.

As the iPhone grew in the 2010's, it gradually eroded the utility of the iPod. Why pay for, carry, and look after a second device just for music?

This has been the case with many technologies. MP3 players, camcorders, digital cameras, videogame consoles, GPS and PDAs have all evolved into the smartphone.

The iPod has lasted well, and we still see them in here occasionally - iPod Touch 5th and 6th Gen models in for battery replacements. Some people like to have a separate device for music when running or travelling.

It's interesting to think about how the entire process of consuming music has progressed.

> People used to buy and consume whole albums. Now, it's mostly songs and singles.

> We used to cherish and memorise a small collection. Now, it's a new playlist every day.

> The primary device was a CD player or iPod. Now, we just use our smartphone (or smartwatch).

> No more tangled wires and aux cables. Headphones, speakers and car stereos are all Bluetooth.

> The business model was based on one-off purchases from a limited selection. Now, we pay monthly subscriptions for unlimited streaming.

Pay £1 for one Usher song, wait 10 minutes to download on to PC, sync iPod with iTunes and... Voilà.

Nostalgic, but not missed.

iPod Repairs