Apple iPod Specs (All iPod Models: 2001-2022) (2024)

FAQs

What iPod came out in 2001? ›

The original iPod, introduced on October 23, 2001, was the first MP3 player to pack a mind-blowing 1,000 songs and a 10-hour battery into a stunning 6.5-ounce package. iPod mini, introduced on February 20, 2004, brought everything users loved about iPod into a smaller design at just 3.6 ounces.

The model number can be found on the back of the iPod, towards the bottom.

Tech specs and details for the entire iPod series -- iPod, iPod mini, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, and iPod touch (all discontinued) -- are provided below. For answers to all of your most pressing iPod questions, check out the iPod Q&A and iPod Troubleshooting & Repair Q&A, with more than 100 iPod questions answered.

Apple is clear about what replaces the iPod, saying in the press release announcing the demise of the iPod: “iPhone is the best device for streaming Apple Music or storing an entire music library on the go.”

The first version was released on November 10, 2001, about 81⁄2 months after the Macintosh version of iTunes was released. Apple sold an estimated 450 million iPod products as of 2022. Apple discontinued the iPod product line on May 10, 2022.

Using a 1.8-inch hard drive compared to the competitors' 2.5-inch drives, the iPod weighed in at 6.5 ounces and was about the size of a deck of cards. It featured a mechanical scroll wheel, a center select button, and four auxiliary buttons around the outside of the wheel. The first-gen iPod was only for Mac users.

Use the Find My app to locate and play a sound on a missing iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, or Beats headphones (supported models). In order to locate a device, you must turn on Find My [device] before it's lost.

Connect your iPod to your computer.

If your iPod is disabled, the only way to unlock it is to completely erase and reset it. If you have a backup, you'll be able to restore it, otherwise you'll lose all of your data. There is no way to unlock a disabled iPod unless you use the correct passcode or you erase it.

Gazelle is a fast, simple, and intuitive way to get fast money for your iPod, and it takes just seconds to get started. We'll ask you a few questions to help us assess the value of your phone. Then we'll make you our very best offer possible. Accept it and you'll receive a pre-paid box.

Are old iPods still usable? ›

Some models are still relatively affordable, and they still work perfectly with iTunes or the newer Apple Music desktop application. However, the original iPod is not a great music player for the modern era. It's bulky, the screen isn't that great, and the FireWire port is a giant middle finger to modern technology.

1st generation

They went on sale on November 10, 2001. The first iPod had a monochrome LCD (liquid-crystal display) screen and featured a 5 GB hard drive capable of storing 1,000 songs (encoded using MP3 160kbps, fewer if using a higher bitrate) and was priced at US$399.

You can distinguish the iPod touch (3rd generation) from iPod touch (2nd generation) by looking at the back of the device. In the text below the engraving, look for the model number.

CUPERTINO, California—October 23, 2001—Apple® today introduced iPod™, a breakthrough MP3 music player that packs up to 1,000 CD-quality songs into an ultra-portable, 6.5 ounce design that fits in your pocket.

On May 10, 2022, Apple discontinued the iPod Touch, effectively ending the iPod product line. The last iOS version to support the seventh-generation iPod Touch is iOS 15, except for ongoing OS maintenance.

A 2001 classic

"The iPod was originally purchased for $399 + tax in December 2001 at Willowbrook Mall in Plano Texas, at an Apple Store that was actually opened just before the iPod release," Rally told iMore via email.

The 4th-generation iPod, also known as iPod (Click Wheel) and iPod 4G, was an iPod model that was introduced by Apple Computer on July 19, 2004. The model lineup initially featured a monochrome display and later gained the color screen from the iPod photo on June 28, 2005.

2002: iPod 2G

About nine months after releasing the first iPod, Apple made a few minor updates and released the second-gen iPod on July 17, 2002. The biggest addition was the ability for Windows PC users to use the device with Musicmatch Jukebox software.

As introduced on September 9, 2008, the Apple iPod classic (Late 2008/7th Generation) was equipped with a 120 GB 4200 RPM ATA-66 hard drive capable of supporting "up to" 30,000 songs in "128-Kbps AAC format" or "up to" 150 hours of video.