Tim Cook on iPod Classic: 'We Couldn't Get the Parts Anymore'

During the Q&A portion of his interview at the WSJ.D conference tonight, Tim Cook was asked about the iPod classic, which was finally discontinued last month five years after its last update.

Cook said Apple primarily stopped making the device because it was no longer possible to source the necessary parts from anywhere in the world. Apple does not have plans to reintroduce the iPod classic due to a shrinking audience and the engineering costs that would be needed for a new version, but Cook pointed towards the iPod touch, which has almost the same amount of storage space, as a viable option.

Observers had speculated Apple was waiting for a 128 GB iPod touch before discontinuing the iPod classic, but while the iPhone and iPad have gained 128 GB options, the iPod touch has yet to do so. Still, with Apple unable to source parts for the iPod classic, the company was left with no choice but to end sales of the descendent of the original iPod.

The iPod classic's 1.8-inch hard drives were typically supplied by Toshiba, with the last generation using a 160 GB drive. Toshiba launched a 220 GB version in early 2011 that gave some hope the iPod classic might receive an update, but one never came to pass and Toshiba has long since discontinued its entire line of 1.8-inch hard drives.