Apple is finally retiring the iPod Touch, ending the iPod's 20-year run

Apple has announced it is retiring the iPod Touch, ending two decades of Apple’s dominance in the digital music player market.

At one point, Apple made a number of different iPod models but gradually phased them out as the iPhone’s popularity cannibalized sales. The iPod Touch was the last device on the company’s roster, but Apple is now retiring it, closing the curtain on the iPod’s 20-year history. Customers can still purchase the player for now, at least until existing inventory is exhausted.

The company makes clear what made the iPod such a success will continue to live on in its other products.

“Today, the spirit of iPod lives on,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod Mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio — there’s no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music.”

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Apple revolutionized digital music players with the introduction of the original iPod 20 years ago. Its simple interface and large capacity turned the market on its head and instantly made Apple the market leader. As the iPhone became popular — and as its storage increased — most customers no longer needed to carry a dedicated music player, leading to the iPod’s eventual demise.

During its heyday, however, the iPod helped drive Apple’s “halo effect,” in which consumers would buy the company’s inexpensive products and then gradually invest in more products and services, eventually transitioning completely to Apple’s ecosystem. While the iPod Touch may be the last iPod, Apple will always be indebted to the diminutive device’s contribution to its success.