Call it the end of an era: Apple has discontinued the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano, the two last versions of its music player not capable of running iOS apps. The company removed both models from its store Thursday, and later confirmed that it discontinued them in an attempt to simplify the iPod lineup.
The news of Apple killing the two legacy iPod models was first reported by Business Insider Thursday.
Apple first introduced the iPod Shuffle and the iPod Nano in 2005 as complementary products to the more expensive legacy iPod. The iPod Shuffle came without a screen, and instead let users skip through their music with a few simple buttons. it sold for less than $100, making it the most affordable iPod at the time.
The iPod Nano came with a color display and offered more storage than the iPod Shuffle, with the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the time touting it as a way to carry “a thousand songs in your pocket.” However, like the original iPod, it also didn’t run on iOS, the operating system that would eventually power Apple’s iPhone.
Apple did introduce an iOS-based iPod in 2007 when it also unveiled the original iPhone. That model, the iPod touch, remains in the company’s current line-up. In fact, Apple reduced the price of the entry-level iPod touch to $199 Thursday.
