It’s 2022, so why is Apple still selling these products?

A year ago, I wrote an article arguing that Apple should discontinue its Apple Watch Series 3. Well, it turns out, Series 3 is still part of Apple’s lineup for some reason – but it’s not the only product that the company should leave behind. It’s 2022, so why is Apple still selling these products?

Apple Watch Series 3

Yes, Apple still sells the Apple Watch Series 3. The Apple Watch Series 3 is still available for $199. I can understand why it is considered an entry-level model. It sounds appealing, and the $199 price tag makes sense. But the Series 3 experience in 2022 is not the best.

Unlike the Apple Watch SE, with which you give up just a few premium features like the always-on display and ECG, Apple Watch Series 3 is quite outdated by today’s standards. The display is still the same as the first Apple Watch – more square, with huge bezels – and lacks support for several of the watch faces introduced with the latest versions of watchOS.

Series 3’s 32-bit S3 chips are more than just a problem with the display and watch faces. Series 3 is currently the only Apple Watch that uses an older architecture. Series 4 and later use 64-bit chips. Although Series 3 runs watchOS 8, it’s unclear whether it will survive for another year of updates.

And when it comes to the GPS version, it only has 8GB of internal storage, which makes the user’s life a nightmare, especially when trying to install software updates on the watch. This shouldn’t be a consumer’s first Apple Watch experience.

iPod touch

Do you remember the days when Apple would release a new iPod touch every other year to match the iPhone’s success? Those days are over. With the same A10 chip and no design changes, the seventh generation iPod touch was launched in 2019. It has not been updated since.

I can’t think of a good reason for Apple to still sell this iPod touch model. The four-inch screen with and old chip and poor battery life make it far from ideal for gaming, and it doesn’t even have Touch ID on the home button for Apple Pay. I once wrote that Apple could turn the iPod touch into a true gaming device if it wanted to, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.

While some may argue that the iPod is still available for children or new iOS users (or vice versa), it’s not a good choice for anyone. The 128GB version costs $299, and you can find the iPhone SE for similar prices with special offers – and it comes with a slightly larger screen, Touch ID, better cameras, Apple’s latest chip, and a whole phone inside.

For someone who is just starting to use iOS, a $329 entry level iPad is a better choice than an iPod touch.

Apple TV HD

The fourth generation Apple TV (also known as Apple TV HD) is last but not least. The situation here is similar to the Apple Watch Series 3 – You have a product from five years ago that isn’t exactly cheap but also doesn’t deliver the best experience.

In fact, Apple doesn’t know whether it wants Apple TV to be a streaming device, a gaming device, or both. Apple TV is expensive for a streaming device. For a gaming device, Apple TV doesn’t have triple-A games.

Apple TV HD at $149 is quite expensive for a 2017 device. It could also be discontinued at any moment. Apple could discontinue its Apple TV HD and concentrate on more powerful models or make the HD model less expensive for people who want a streaming device.

Even Apple doesn’t want you to buy these devices

What is the most funny thing you have ever seen? Even Apple doesn’t want you to buy these products. Guess what? I found out when I visited an Apple Store. These products are not displayed in Apple Stores. They are not mentioned. An employee can help you get an Apple Watch Series 3 or iPod touch.

Apple is aware that these products are obsolete, so why continue selling and supporting them. I don’t have an answer about Apple Watch Series 3 and the Apple TV HD, but I do think that Apple doesn’t want to give up the iPod brand, even if that means selling an outdated product that no one cares about.

You? Are you a believer that these products should be discontinued? Comment below.

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