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Apple Marks 25 Years of iPod With an Interactive Apple Music Tribute

Apple is celebrating the original iPod’s 25th anniversary with a nostalgic Apple Music web experience. The tribute looks back to the 5GB player unveiled on October 23, 2001; it is not a new hardware launch.

jajoy39

Oct 24, 2026 - 05:51

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Original first-generation iPod, via MacRumors.

Apple marks 25 years of iPod with an interactive Apple Music tribute

Apple is looking back to the device that put a portable music library at the center of its business. Twenty-five years after the original iPod was unveiled on October 23, 2001, an Apple Music web tribute recreates the familiar player as an interactive anniversary easter egg.

The tribute is a nostalgic software experience, not an announcement of new iPod hardware. GSMArena’s October 23 report describes a virtual player with the original-style monochrome menu and scroll-wheel controls.

A streaming service looks back to a pocket-sized library

The web experience is available through Apple Music’s iPod page. Its appeal is the contrast between today’s streaming service and the deliberately simple interface of Apple’s first dedicated music player.

Visitors should treat it as an anniversary feature of the website rather than a replacement for the service’s normal apps. The consulted report does not establish a permanent standalone product or a new physical player.

What the first iPod actually offered

Apple’s original launch announcement specified a 5GB hard drive, room for up to 1,000 CD-quality songs and a claimed ten hours of music playback. It used FireWire for synchronization and charging, with Auto-Sync transferring an iTunes library from a Mac.

The device was announced on October 23 but went on sale on November 10, 2001, at a suggested US retail price of $399. Its 160-by-128-pixel display and mechanical scroll wheel were a very different approach from today’s large touchscreen phones.

A product line that outlived its original form

The iPod family later spread into smaller and differently shaped models, including the mini, nano and shuffle, as well as the touchscreen iPod touch. Apple announced the end of the remaining iPod touch in May 2022, with availability continuing while supplies lasted.

The anniversary tribute therefore celebrates the start of a finished hardware line while connecting it to the company’s current music service. For longtime users, the menu and wheel are a reminder of an era when carrying a digital collection meant storing the songs on a dedicated device.