JUST IN: Apple reportedly ending iTunes

The file organization system you’ve been finding ways to work around for over a decade is about to be no more. According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is hoping to phase out iTunes in the near future. Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to announce the decision to move away from iTunes as part of a push away from the iPhone in coming years.

Unveiled in 2001, iTunes originally functioned as a music library and marketplace for iPods, iPhones, and Mac computers. As the company shifts its focus to other arms, the iTunes library will be replaced by separate desktop apps: Music, Podcasts and TV. iPhones and iPads already separate out libraries in this manner.

The company’s Worldwide Developers Conference is a closely watched event for fanboys and journalists. At this year’s iteration, the company is also expected to announce greater freedom for their Apple Watch, which currently only works if it is connected to an iPhone.

While the company is looking to roll out a new iPod soon, the move away from iTunes is probably a savvy business move given the recent raft of bad press attached to the brand. The company is currently being sued by users who allege that their iTunes data was sold to third parties who connected the data to personal information to sell to marketers.

“None of the information pertaining to the music you purchase on your iPhone stays on your iPhone,” the $5 million lawsuit alleged, per Billboard. “The data Apple discloses includes the full names and home addresses of its customers, together with the genres and, in some cases, the specific titles of digitally-recorded music that its customers have purchased via the iTunes Store and then stored in their devices.”

Source: Complex.com