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Apple declares these iPods obsolete

Two classic iPods have gone the way of the dodo, with Apple officially removing the iconic music players from its repair services line-up.

Custom image for Apple declares these iPods obsolete article with a screenshot from the classic iPod silhouette commercials on the left and the Apple logo on the right

If you’ve been holding on to an old iPod Nano or iPod Shuffle in the hope of getting it repaired, we’ve got some disappointing news. Apple has officially declared both of these classic music players obsolete, which means the only way to fix one is through a third party or by picking up the old soldering iron yourself.

Admittedly, Apple’s decision to no longer service or repair either of these classic iPods isn’t a big surprise, considering the last new Nano and Shuffle devices arrived in 2017. These days, the tech giant is more concerned with tablets, computers, and smartphones, and that’s a strategy that’s worked well, with our guides to the best iPads and the best gaming iPhones full of fantastic devices that are the envy of countless other tech brands.

It’s not just these iPods joining the obsolete list, but the iPhone 6, too. Again, this isn’t much of a shock. While the sixth-generation iPhone might have felt like something from the future back in 2014, a lot has changed in the last ten years, and the ten-year-old iPhone struggles to keep up with the performance demands of the best iPhone games and Apple Arcade games in 2024.

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While it might make business sense, I can’t help but feel a little sad about the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano finally falling into full obscurity. As anyone who grew up in the 00s can attest to, these things were everywhere, and I still remember loading my Shuffle up with the latest Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance tunes before walking through my town with my head down like the big emo I was. I mean, I’m not sure the iPod Shuffle’s unique selling point would be quite as popular in the era of the iPhone 16 and Apple Intelligence, but it’s still a shame to see it go.

All this means that the only classic iPod you can still get repaired is the iPod Touch, as Apple didn’t discontinue the touch-screen music player until 2022. It tends to take around six years for Apple to declare a product obsolete, so that should hold true until at least 2028, given that the tech giant doesn’t break from tradition and add it to the list early. With that in mind, if you need to replace your iPod Touch with something a little more modern or just need a new phone upgrade, our list of the best mid-range phones has a bunch of affordable options to get you back to living in the future.