The iPod mini is a digital audio player designed and marketed by Apple. It was the midrange model in Apple's iPod product line. It was announced on January 6, 2004 and released on February 20 of the same year. A second-generation version was announced on February 23, 2005 and released later that year. The iPod mini line was officially discontinued on September 7, 2005 and was replaced by the iPod Nano line.
The iPod mini retained the touch-sensitive scroll wheel of the third generation iPod; however, instead of the four touch buttons located above the wheel, the buttons were made mechanical beneath the wheel itself—hence the name click wheel. To use one of the four buttons, the user must physically push the edge of the wheel inward over one of the four labels. Like its predecessors, the wheel was developed for Apple by Synaptics. The click wheel is now also used in the fourth, fifth and sixth generation iPods and the iPod Nano, from first generation through to third; however, in the Nano and 5G iPods onwards, the click wheel is developed by Apple.
Above the wheel is a monochrome LCD that displays a menu or information about the selected track. Newer-generation iPods have since adopted color displays.