Apple iPods
The First iPod
This article talks about the unveiling of Apple's first iPod, calling it a breakthrough product. The first iPod was released November 10, 2001. The main purpose of the first iPod was to play music digitally, similar to the purpose of a Walkman. This iPod allowed for a max of 1,000 songs to be stored in a 5GB hard drive. The cost of the iPod in England was originally 329 pounds.
iPod Boosts Apple Sales
A few years after the first release of the iPod, Apple continued to see great growth. The popularity of iPods helped skyrocket Apple's image as an electronic business. Sales increased six-fold due to the release of an iPod, in the year 2004. Apple saw quarterly profit increase from $46 million to $290 million and revenue increased to $3.24 billion. As the credibility of Apple increased due to iPod consumers, more people were inclined to purchase other Apple products. not only did sales increase from iPods, but there was notably an increase in computer sales, as well.
First iPod Touch is Released
This is an advertisement for the first iPod Touch, which was released September 5, 2007. It was the first iPod to feature a touch screen. This iPod had new entertainment features such as Wi-Fi, games, and letting users browse the internet. As Apple continued to change their products, more features became available to later products. These evolving characteristics kept consumers wanting more and allowed for Apple to continue gaining sales on their products.
iPod Sales Decline
As iPods continued to evolve and create more entertainment for users, these newer characteristics helped create the first iPhone. The biggest influence iPods have had on technology was being the blueprint for creating iPhones, which end up revolutionzing the smartphone business. However, the decline of iPods was mainly attributed to the increasing popularity of iPhones. More people were inclined to purchase iPhones because they had cellular capabilities, unlike iPods. This article discusses how in 2009, the revenue for iPhones was up 303% while iPod's revenue was down 11%. The decrease in revenue also led to less iPods being manufactured. In 2009, 7% less iPods were made when compared to the year before. Eventually, the downward trend of iPod sales led to iPods being discontinued. The last iPod to have been made was the iPod Touch (7th Gen) in 2019. Although iPods are discontinued today, the influence it has had on Apple and their current products is very significant.