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Tim Cook on axing the iPod Classic: "We couldn't get the parts anymore"
Last month, Apple swiftly and quietly put an end to the venerable iPod Classic. No announcements were made, no funeral was held. Instead, all references to the Classic were casually removed from the iPod section on Apple's website, dashing the dreams of users who prefer -- nay, demand! -- 160GB of portable music storage. During yesterday's WSJD Live conference, Tim Cook fielded a question about the demise of the iPod Classic, noting that it was end-of-lifed because Apple simply couldn't source the parts anymore. And because the iPod Classic was, well, a classic that didn't move the needle sales-wise, Cook added that it wasn't worth the effort for Apple to devote engineering resources towards redesigning the device. "We would have to make a whole new product," Cook said, "the engineering work to do that would be massive."
Tim Cook talks Apple Watch, TVs and the power of the iPhone
Tim Cook started out his talk with Gerard Baker, Wall Street Journal's editor-in-chief, at the WSJD Live conference with a very obvious statement: "The phone is the majority of the company's revenue," and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Apple doesn't just make money from phone sales, but also everything that comes with it -- apps, iTunes media and, yes, Apple Pay. Cook was eager to point out that Apple Pay reached over a million card activations in just the first 72 hours, and that Visa and Mastercard said that Apple Pay is already the number one player in contactless payments.
Tim Cook explains why the iPod Classic had to die
It was the best question pitched to Apple CEO at WSJD's Live conference: Why was the iPod discontinued? Apparently it's a very simple reason: "We couldn't get the parts any more," explained Tim Cook. "They don't make them any more." While the iPod Classic isn't exactly a creaky transistor radio just yet, that's how it went down. "We would have to make a whole new product.... the engineering work to do that would be massive." The difficult truth that some of you probably don't want to hear: "The number of people who wanted it is very small." So pour one out for the iPod Classic -- and hit up eBay if you're still craving a clickwheel. Nicole Lee contributed to this story.
In 72 hours, Apple Pay is already the wireless payment leader in the US
Paying with your phone still feels fancy, and at WSJD Live today, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained that the company has already registered 1 million customers. Compared to say, iPhone sales, it might not seem all that impressive, but Cook added that Visa and Mastercard apparently said that if you summed up everyone else in the contactless payment market together, these numbers make Apple number one in wireless payments. Already. Nicole Lee contributed to this story.
