If the 2009 iPhone redefined the appearance of the mobile phone, then the iPod shuffle released in 2005 can be said to have "changed the world in advance" 4 years ago, and even today, we can still see this player born 16 years ago on the Internet in the form of fashion items in everyone's vision. Some time ago on TikTok, some users used this popular player as a card, and wrote in the description, "Does anyone know what this is?" ”
Of course, everyone can see at a glance that Tie is not the kind of person who calls the floppy disk a "save button", and in the interview, Tice also said that this iPod is actually her own, and the playlist can even be traced back to her middle school days. The reason for making this video is, on the one hand, to share the player that has accompanied me for many years, and on the other hand, to remember the good times that belonged to the iPod shuffle in the past.
Coincidentally, Tie is not the only one who regained his old love to use the iPod shuffle this year: in early 2020, C Ronaldo was also photographed by the media before the game using a blue iPod shuffle. But unlike Tie, Ronaldo's approach is obviously much more retro: he not only clipped the iPod to the tie as Apple demonstrated, but even retro with wired headphones, which look like they went back to 2010 from the photos.
But then again, how did Apple's products stay alive for so long? The vitality referred to here does not mean the vitality of hardware performance, as long as the battery is not broken, the iPod, a simple electronic device, can be used forever. What I want to say is, why after many years, Apple products can still stay in the user's memory?
Again, change the world
A product wants to be "remembered" by users for two reasons: hardware and advertising. Let's first look at the hardware perspective. To know that not all Apple can be in the history of hardware development "famous history", even Apple, in the 45 years of development history has launched a lot of "fleeting" products, such as the predecessor of the iPhone and iPad - Apple Newton. Due to the inaccurate positioning of the product, this product was hastily discontinued shortly after its launch.
But in terms of the history of the development of portable players, the iPod shuffle is definitely an iconic presence. Let's first see what the player looked like before the release of the iPod shuffle:
And the second generation iPod shuffle looks like this:
In fact, from the perspective of the product, the iPod shuffle's drastic deletion of the player did cause some users to resent it in the early days of the market. The lack of a screen means you can only tell what song is playing by listening to it, and you can try it out one by one in order when choosing a song. But as Apple's subsequent products did, Apple used the iPod shuffle to redefine the operation of listening to music:
Users no longer have to rack their brains to choose what songs to start with. Just like the name of the iPod shuffle, users can simply unlock it, push it to the shuffle file, and press the play button to enjoy their favorite music. Coupled with iTunes' ability to record playbacks, users can easily filter out the songs they really like.
As it turned out, Apple was right to gamble. iPod shuffle, a subtraction product, has been recognized by consumers and friends. There are also a large number of third-party player products designed with iPod shuffle on the market. iPod shuffles, like today's AirPods, became a fashion icon of the time.
That's right, making a product a fashion symbol isn't the first of AirPods. As early as 10 years ago, Apple had already verified the feasibility of this route with the iPod shuffle. The marketing method of making products into fashion symbols is also the reason why iPod shuffle can shine all the way to this day.
Users are the best ads
Unlike most player products, Apple does not say much about the performance of the player, after all, Hi-Fi is not Apple's specialty. At that time, in addition to promoting the portability, battery life and capacity of the iPod shuffle, Apple put most of its energy into the appearance and use of the iPod shuffle. In modern parlance, Apple advertises not the hardware of the iPod shuffle, but a "way of life" that uses the iPod shuffle.
In the TV advertisement of the iPod series of products, Apple did not mention anything about the sound quality of the iPod, but used high-contrast silhouette actions to show the user wearing the iPod dancing picture, the iPod rose from the product to the label, let the user imagine the scene after using the iPod, so as to build a lightweight, fashionable and trendy label for the iPod shuffle in the user's mind. Let users who use iPod become the best ads for the product.
The same marketing method is also reflected in AirPods, iPod shuffle and AirPods are both wearable devices, and Apple has not set Apple's logo on the "outside" of the two, but uses products to emphasize the brand, and uses star users to drain their products. Just like everyone will think of AirPods when they see white true wireless headphones, and call them iPads when they see tablets, whether celebrity Internet celebrities use genuine iPod shuffle or "cottage version", everyone will call it iPod and direct the heat to Apple.
This "product is advertising" influence on Apple continues to this day, the simple aluminum notebook shell, the iPhone front bangs, square smart watches and small true wireless headphones are the most intuitive examples. Even if users don't see the logo on the products, these products and users who are using those products are still Apple's most successful ads.
It is undeniable that with the development of science and technology and the replacement of products, these popular technology digital products will eventually become the "relics" in the history of technological development like 3.5-inch floppy disks, and such a fate cannot be escaped whether iPod shuffle, AirPods or iPhones.
However, from the perspective of the development process of digital products, although these products have left people's eyes, they have never left, and the design concept of these products will be reflected in future products in a new way. The "Pong" cue when apple computers are turned on, the stacked record covers in the Apple Music library charts, from the iPod nano 6 to the Apple Watch, from the "little white headphones" to the AirPods, these are the spiritual inheritance of the times.
The only people who remain the same while the products change should be the users who use these tools to create value for the world.