The upcoming release of macOS Ventura 13.5 includes an update for iPod 2005!
Many users have shown that the iPod has not been forgotten and although Apple discontinued the latest model in May 2022, neither has it. According to a report based on Apple Developer Release Notes, the upcoming macOS 13.5 update will fix a syncing issue with the third and fourth generation iPod shuffle. The update is currently in beta testing and will likely be released later this month.
macOS 13.5 will most likely be one of the last macOS Ventura updatesgiven that Apple is currently focusing on the release of macOS Sonoma, scheduled for the last quarter of the year.
According to the update’s official changelog report, Apple has confirmed:
Fixed an issue where iPod shuffle (3rd and 4th generation) could not sync due to an unknown error (-244). It’s unclear how long the bug has affected iPod shuffle owners, or even if it only affects a small number of users, but thankfully Apple is working to fix it soon.
Apple does not forget the iPod
Apple discontinued the iPod shuffle in 2017, so this is a niche bug fix. The original iPod shuffle was released in 2005 and was the first model without a display, allowing for a more portable design and a lower starting price of $100 with 512MB of storage. A 1GB model was available for $149.
At the time, Steve Jobs had the opportunity to present the deviceand this, by highlighting its differentiating characteristics:
iPod shuffle is smaller and lighter than a pack of chewing gum and costs less than $100. With most flash-based music players, users have to deal with small screens and complicated controls to find their music; With iPod shuffle, you relax and enjoy new combinations of your music every time you listen to it.
