End of the iPod? Apple boss Tim Cook admits declining sales as smart phones technology tales over market

It's no longer a case of 'bigger the better' as smart phone technology and tablet devices lure users away from the iPod

Is this the end of the iPod?

The audio devices were ground-breaking back in 2001, bringing some sleek style to the technology market.

But 12 years on, and the iPod looks to be going in the same direction as the Walkman, with Apple reporting a sales decline of 52%.

But Apple claims smart phone technology has caused a major downturn in iPod sales.

The company has created 26 devices since the start but the digital music player that brought us iTunes, has been the catalyst to it's own demise.

During a conference call earlier this week, Apple boss Tim Cook said: "I think all of us have known for some time that iPod is a declining business," in response to the company's latest earnings report.

And it was Mr Cook's famous predecessor, Steve Jobs who predicted that smart technology would take over.

He joked in 2007 when the iPhone was launched that it was the "best iPod we've ever made."

Whilst it may have been Mr Jobs' fearless nature which lead to the creation of machines, combining his past designs, it is not all bad news for Apple.

iPods still mean big bucks for the company, earning them a whopping $973m (£587m) in revenue in the last quarter.

But even those impressive figures are unlikely to keep Apple happy for long, as the firm are wanting to introduce a totally new product to their line, when they finally say 'good biPod.'