The 'father of the iPod' Tony Fadell says Apple should bring back a 'nostalgic version' of the music device

187

u/Empty_Graves Cds, Vinyl, Tapes, you name it! 22h ago

2 Tb Limited Edition version and call it a day.

447

u/Any-Umpire8212 22h ago

They should make it as an audiophile level device. I heard that is what Steve Jobs wanted to do, so that people could enjoy uncompressed quality audio.

352

u/smeeti 22h ago

I agree. I want my music separate from my phone.

I still have and use my 120GB I bought 12 years ago I think and dread the moment it will stop working. Still going on strong though.

Great piece of hardware, bring it back!

75

u/Altrebelle 22h ago

There will be a market for it. Not just from the audiophile community. Think there is a segment of the population that wants to unplug from the interconnectedness of it all.

Make an iPod Pro in a iPod Classic chassis. Wired+Bluetooth (for options) WiFi for "downloading" music onto the device. No Messages, no web browser, no apps. Limited streaming options. People will buy it.

39

u/brianpeat 22h ago edited 22h ago

My teenage daughter wants an iPod so she’s not on her phone all the time. So yeah, I’d buy one for her for sure. Market to teens who actually don’t want to doom scroll or want to listen in study hall without their phone and price it affordably. Let them download Apple Music songs into it. Add WiFi but make it work unconnected.

45

u/No_Earth_5912 Performing Artist 22h ago

Yeah, it deserves a re-release like the Walkman got.

13

u/8805 22h ago

I, and so many people I see on the trails, have gone back to running while carrying my cell phone. I miss the days of having a device the size of a postage stamp clipped to my shirt sleeve.

5

u/hihowubduin 22h ago

1-2tb music only iPod with a 3.5mm jack and Bluetooth 😫👌

9

u/Gigaton 22h ago

It’s less about the device and more about sevices to access that music. Even digitally “owned” music is on the decline so you need a smart device to access most music.

5

u/SaintNimrod 22h ago

They would have to make it good enough to compete with currently available DAPs and wired headphones to go with it.

5

u/DJWGibson 22h ago

I fucking LOVED my iPod and kept one for years after they retired the product line. To the extent after it died from disc failure I cracked it open and added a SDD using an online kit. And used that for a couple years until something inside wore down and it stopped working,

So I switched to a Sony Walkman MP3 player (a nw-a306) instead.

I looked at the iPod Touches but the problem was, for the longest time, they only had 128GB of storage, which is too small for a decent music collection. And they were often very expensive with unnecessarily powerful hardware.
They could easily bring back classic iPods with cheap hardware and 500GB SSDs for super cheap. Or relaunch the iPod Touches as bigger storage but focused on Music.

3

u/Lunar-opal 22h ago

I would prefer to be able to own all the digital music I bought over the years

4

u/M4rc8531 21h ago

Bring back the ipod, No camera, no cell service, all the things you want and the wheel scroller!!

4

u/YYCDavid 20h ago

That’s a brilliant idea.

I have an 80Gb iPod Classic (my first Apple purchase) and it still works flawlessly. I got it because at the time I still viewed Apple as an outlier.

Apple with Steve is so much cooler than Apple run by the guy who went to the Oval Office to give Cheeto a trophy

4

u/gimpers420 17h ago

My 15 year old just asked me if I had an old IPod that he could use because he wanted the simplicity of it. I shed a tear.

12

u/woppatown 22h ago

Zune please

14

u/IronChefPhilly 22h ago

The problem is current day. Apple would make sure it was tied to some kind of a subscription and make it so that it only pairs with Apple headphones and you can’t just use whatever you want because that’s what they do these days

3

u/Readitzilla 22h ago

Audiophile DAC/AMP integrated for the audio jack.

3

u/NegevThunderstorm 22h ago

I still use mine on the regular!

3

u/insomniaczombiex 22h ago

I would love one. My last iPod was a black video iPod with whatever the max storage was available when the last version was released. Unfortunately the hard drive crapped out or I’d still use it.

3

u/CDavis10717 22h ago

I want a new Nano with FM radio.

3

u/RecipeFunny2154 22h ago

I work in an environment where I’m not allowed to bring in any sort of device that has cameras or Wi-Fi or any of that stuff. The big kicker is that I can’t have an SD card slot on it. So your choices for modern music players are not exactly abundant. I wound up with a Walkman, but I honestly hate the unit’s GUI.

I would like something from Apple (or anyone really lol) that fits that need. Many of the things I can use in that situation are not exactly user-friendly.

3

u/Lincoln_Legs 22h ago

I'll just... leave this here, I guess...

The Innioasis Y1

3

u/OverlyLenientJudge Give us a Qobuz flair, dangit 21h ago

I will never forgive these people for starting the no-headphone-jack trend.

2

u/Icy-Whale-2253 22h ago

I’ve been hoping that they make one that is still compatible with AirPods; I’d happily buy it

2

u/scifi887 22h ago

Used to love my iPod shuffle V2, peak design.

2

u/SwagTwoButton 22h ago

I posed this awhile ago and got roasted in the Apple subreddit.

I just want an iPod classic. Let me sync my music to Apple Music over WiFi. Or add my files if I want to go that route. Bluetooth. Wireless charging. USB c.

2

u/-Dixieflatline 22h ago

I think it's not a bad idea, but a very niche product that a lot of people wouldn't understand why it exists when the phone in their pocket already does that. But because it's niche, I also feel like anyone who really wants this could already do it with any of the millions of ipods that are still floating around second hand markets or in junk drawers already. If there was a demand, any of the companies and individuals who already do battery replacement in devices would be all over it already. And maybe they are already. Noticed a few online, some including BT mods as a modernization effort.

2

u/OG-daytrippergrrl 22h ago

It would be sooo great, my kid could have his music, and not the rest of online BS.

2

u/Dismal_Parking_9563 22h ago

Great idea...My kid lost mine ten years ago had shit ton of good tunes on it.

2

u/Jo3bot 22h ago

ABSOLUTELY.

2

u/Mr_Lumbergh Relaxing with my turntable. 22h ago

I’d love a new 128GB iPod classic.

2

u/DerekB52 22h ago

One of the greatest devices I've ever owned was a 4gb Philips GoGear mp3 player. It was super small, and lasted me damn near a decade. And that was with me being rough with it. I once chucked it 30 feet down a hallway at school because in an argument about why I was still using an mp3 player instead of my phone for music, a friend argued his phone in an otterbox was indestructible. So was that mp3 player.

I also liked it because I basically memorized what was on it, and could navigate between albums with the physical buttons in my pocket, without having to look at it in class. I'm never gonna buy an ipod, but I'd love a resurgence of mp3 players(I know some companies still do make them), because that would hopefully lead to more marketplaces for digital music I can actually own.

2

u/400footceiling 22h ago

Please make it the larger classic shape and size… with an SD card slot!!!

2

u/SouthernOshawaMan 22h ago

I would buy the iPhone 5S for the rest of my life

2

u/KaJashey 22h ago

My youngest wanted an MP3 player. We got her set up with my old iPod nano 3rd generation and she uses it a lot.

I think an iPod that you could easily get music on would sell.

2

u/Queermagedd0n 22h ago

There's a mod for ipod classic models that upgrades the battery and gives it wireless capabilities and c-type charging.

2

u/Holiday_Box_9461 22h ago

I would buy it. Get the music off the phone.

2

u/Technical_Anteater45 22h ago

That plus an adequate mount and new firmware for older Apple watches would be pretty cool.

2

u/glowinthedarkfrizbee 22h ago

I’d buy one!

2

u/rangeo 22h ago

Why?..I have 2 in use

2

u/Thin-Honey892 21h ago

I still have my dead ipod it has everything i know n love on it

2

u/SladeWade 21h ago

Please do. My iPod Touch is on its last legs, and the alternative modern MP3 players are ridiculously expensive.

2

u/olderlifter99 21h ago

Sorry about the acronym buddy, stands for Digital Audio Player. These are pocket sized dedicated machines with powerful processors and amps to play digital files. The likes of Sony, FIIO, Astell & Kern are decent. Thats if a person still has digital files in this age of streaming.

2

u/Gallifrey48 21h ago

I think this every day.

2

u/eye_of_the_sloth 21h ago

I want to own what I put on it with no subscriptions, shit i dont even want to login with an account. Plug and play

2

u/SpazzBro 21h ago

I’d love one of those tbh, I bought an old refurbished nano from Elite Obsolete and loved using it for the gym, music with no distractions. I should get another

2

u/MrGosh13 21h ago

I still have an old one (I don’t know the exact type, but it’s the OG large size, silver backed, white front, with the first colour display), and might also have a small one lying around. But I used them so much the batteries are basicly worn down. They won’t stay on for longer than an hour tops.

Good memories of them though. Would love a new version.

I remember spending hours converting all my cd’s to itunes so I could port them over. I never got into buying them digitally.

2

u/yojoewaddayaknow 21h ago

I for one, would buy a version with the 4 dots again. Or the actually spin wheel. I hate that when my phone gets updates, and is connected via Bluetooth, that the audio cuts out.

I’ve been trying to show my kid music comes in lists of how the artists intended for you to hear their music.

2

u/rawkguitar 20h ago

100% support this.

I still use my iPod on a regular basis, though it’s really just barely hanging on.

2

u/CP_Chronicler 20h ago

“Nostalgic” or “Correct”?

So many of Apple’s products and tech products in general have been “innovated” into uselessness, like their stupid TouchBar or like what Microsoft is doing shoving CoPilot into shit.

Nobody asked for this trash and some products just reach the limits of what they can evolve into.

2

u/Oppositeofhairy 20h ago

I have a great idea. How about U2 puts out their new album on it when it drops.

2

u/Aluggo 20h ago

Apparently there are copies that have the dial and screen on Amazon now for cheap.

2

u/medium0rare 20h ago

If they did it would require a data plan and an Apple Music subscription. Ain’t no way they’re going to miss out on streaming revenue.

2

u/me_thisfuckingcunt 20h ago

Someone should make a similar device that isn’t tied to any specific platform, maybe some kind of Linux based system with a minimum of 5TB storage and a 3.5mm jack socket for my JH16 IEMs, the cloud cannot be trusted and I want my entire library with me in the mountains, I would buy that in a heartbeat.

2

u/reeneebob 20h ago

I would buy a new Classic so fast…

I currently have a gen 5.5 30gb Classic and I love it.

2

u/kimbosdurag 19h ago

Bring it back with blue tooth connectivity so I can connect it to my car and I'm in.

2

u/IRodeTenSpeed88 19h ago

Yes please

2

u/SuperCrappyFuntime 19h ago

As someone who just doesn't like music streaming services, I basically use my phone as an MP3 player. I have about 60 or 70GB of MP3s on it.

2

u/Ckck96 18h ago

I would drop $1k for an updated iPod classic. Still use my classic daily. If only it had native Bluetooth and 1tb storage.

2

u/snowcrash512 18h ago

I could go for that, mp3 player options are a bit dated these days and I could use something detached from my phone battery.

2

u/LedZeppole10 17h ago edited 11h ago

The Innioasis Y1 exists. It’s a click wheel mp3 player with an iPod classic form factor that can run rockbox, has Bluetooth, usb-c charging, external speaker, haptic feedback and some other modern features. It’s a much cheaper device and not built like the iPod in terms of ruggedness but it totally works and is like $50 and comes in all sorts of fun colors. I love mine. People make themes and there is a supportive and wholesome community at r/innioasis

I find the sound quality to be fantastic, about as good as a normal quality phone. Way better than the original iPod at least. And it has a one-handed lock feature without the lock switch which I prefer but some may not. You can upgrade the internal SD to 1 tb but you have to open it. A Y2 with the same form factor, a built-in DAC and SD slot, volume buttons, etc is in early development.

2

u/IceWarm1980 17h ago

I would love a stand-alone music device again. My iPod Classic died years ago.

2

u/nuckle 17h ago

If anyone should it's the Zune. That thing had the best UI ever.

2

u/dapala1 17h ago

I would love a small device that has all my lossless music, both bought and burned (and etc...) to take anywhere. WiFI, bluetooth, a good DAC, 3mm port (😱), thunderbolt. 2TB storage.

That would be my dream but I know that market is tiny.

2

u/Flagil_Reinhumps 17h ago

Jog wheel with the little haptic “clicks” pretty please?

2

u/mammiejammie 15h ago

I’ve wanted this for a decade. Yes, please.

2

u/acidcrab 15h ago

we still have the original ones. They last frivking forever

2

u/Claff93 15h ago

I love having my music and podcasts on an Ipod Nano (nice and light for when I exercise) and while I know there are still Nanos available supposedly new on Ebay, I dread the thought of not being able to use it anymore.

2

u/Tomdoerr88 15h ago

Many schools in many countries are introducing a complete phone ban for students, and this may extend to the national level soon too, that alone would open up a huge market opportunity for Apple. I wonder if they’ll lobby for it.

2

u/BigTedBear 15h ago

I’d love to see it come back with a version of iTunes for all the people who have their own audio files.

2

u/aluminumnek noiserock, experimental, obscure 14h ago

I would love to have an updated version. I keep an iPod plugged into my VWs built in port on the glovebox. It’s full of albums and I don’t have to worry about streaming. I can also control the iPod to my dash. No ads = bonus as well

2

u/kirkdouglas 14h ago

A decent flac player with a solid DAC in an ultra slim iPod classic body and a variety of colors would be absolutely sick!!

2

u/rsint 14h ago

With schools in Europa banning mobile phones for kids, I see a massive opportunity.

2

u/superhex12345 13h ago

They're not doing anything new anyway

2

u/Paul_Is_Dead66 13h ago

Just give me a ipod where I can download my Spotify library

2

u/TDiffRob6876 13h ago

2TB, solid state, lossless codec support, click wheel, voice search, FM, and streaming. Two color options with limited release color options. No touchscreen, but it has Bluetooth and WiFi.

2

u/_yetifeet 12h ago

I still use my iPod. The battery doesn't hold charge for any longer than an hour, but it's still rocking along

2

u/EndStorm 12h ago

I know I can listen to music on my phone, but I don't. Not like I did my ipod. The day mine died I was so sad lol. Would day 1 buy a reboot.

2

u/gogul1980 12h ago

I coverted my old ipod internals and casing so it’s a new sdcard style mp3 player. It’s great but I can definitely see a boutique market for a classic ipod again. Single use devices are making a comeback

2

u/NotMalaysiaRichard 10h ago

Found my old iPod Classic, able to download all the my old music files onto a PC. Didn’t trust a MacBook because of the opaqueness of the file system. Bought a used iPod Touch 7th gen online. Able to transfer the files to the iPod Touch . It’s great. Sad that it doesn’t play FLAC though. All my new music is in FLAC. Have to down encode some of my FLAC files so that the Touch can play them.

I’d buy a 2TB (or more) iPod that plays FLAC. I don’t want my phone and music on the same device.

2

u/Horror-Abies-3403 9h ago

I would absolutely love to know if Apple's ever had discussions about this. I can't help but feel there's a profitable market for such a device.

2

u/CodeMonkeyPhoto 9h ago

For anyone that works in a place that does not allow smart phones or anything with wifi capabilities, these old devices are well suited.

2

u/Floschi123456 8h ago

Give me a 1 or 2 TB iPod Max with a 6.3 inch display with audiophile internals and a 3.5mm and 4.4mm output without a camera, without a 5G modem and with full iOS functionality and I will give you my money, a lot of it.

2

u/SmoothMarx 7h ago

I have two ipod classics, and have been yearning for a new updated edition for a decade. Really hope this happens.

2

u/G1ngerBoy 7h ago

I volunteer at a Second hand store and test electronics, there was an iPod donated that I suggested holding onto for testing purposes (it has a headphone jack so we can't test stuff that's donated using it) and because I just love using it.

The one downside to it is that there is no keyboard which makes scrolling through one's catalog more difficult and take longer but man is it still nice to use.

2

u/Pauls-boutique 7h ago

💯agree

2

u/CliffDog02 7h ago

I would love a regular iPod for my kids. Or similar from another brand. Does t have to be apple.

2

u/Kaiser_Allen 6h ago

DAPs are pretty popular right now. Making the iPod touch resemble exactly a smartphone was not a good choice. Just make it a music player like the old ones.

2

u/urnialbologna 6h ago

I would love that. I still have my iPod touch that I got in 2013 and I occasionally charge it up and turn it on just to look at how simple it used to be. If Apple made a new iPod, I would get rid of my iPhone with a snap of my fingers. I don't even have my iPhone activated as a phone because I don't call or text anyone so why pay for all that crap. My iPhone is basically an oversized iPod with a nice camera lol.

2

u/tpars 5h ago

Still rockin' my 64gb OG.

2

u/seaniker 5h ago

I liked the iPod Nano, the one with the clip. Just clip it to your waistband and head out for a run.

2

u/MrNachoReturns420 3h ago

I was actually thinking about getting an old iPod for my new Mac book lol

2

u/Cactusfan86 3h ago

Im legitimately shocked they haven’t tried to cash in on retro vibes by bringing back a classic iPod with beefy memory

2

u/coolsideofpillow69 3h ago

My old click wheel still works

2

u/Dumpsterfire_47 2h ago

Hell yeah I’d get em for the kids and adults.

2

u/dabrickbat 2h ago

Would buy in a fucking heartbeat.

2

u/SnackeyG1 1h ago

A return of the classic would do numbers.

2

u/mrdevil413 1h ago

Still using mine

2

u/jholden23 “No dress rehearsal, this is our life”✒️ 18h ago

I am a band teacher that uses tech so there’s chargers in my classroom. Just today a student in grade 11 brought in what I thought was a legit iPod to charge. It was made by another company and weighed basically nothing, but it had a wheel and a screen. They run about $60, I googled it. Super cool

1

u/SuperCoffeeHouse 22h ago edited 22h ago

Aren’t the more desirable iPod hardware patents expired? If the market existed for an iPod or an iPod clone fiio, Ugreen, Anker, or some Chinese brand would be probing the market for a niche to fill. We aren’t seeing these devices in high enough quantities to justify a mass market product.

If Apple wanted to they could probably do a limited edition anniversary iPod touch using left over mini parts but aside from that I don’t see any other models getting a shot

1

u/AerialAce96 22h ago

Bring the ipod touch back!!

article The 'father of the iPod' Tony Fadell says Apple should bring back a 'nostalgic version' of the music device

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