I did manage to scratch the screen.

It feels a bit lightweight, if I could maybe blutak some pennies inside it would probably feel more expensive.

It stays in airplane mode. It has a real headphone jack.

Where I think they're missing a trick is trying to imitate the admittedly iconic iPod classic design, especially when no one is building around a hard drive any more.

My friend got a Tangara from their "Kickstarter" and I think it's pretty cool. Plus it's open source and you can just make your own.

Why does it appear to be riveted together? Wouldn't Phillips screws or a snap together design (guitar pick to open) be more practical?

Is "Sudo OS" a euphemism for "Android but extra locked down", the same way Rabbit R1 was?

1. head to eBay and search for used iPod Classics

2. give Rockbox some love

As to the being "crushed" to 48Khz, there is zero chance you can tell the difference.

https://xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml

Pricing on the used market is maybe a bit high compared to some of the other options out there but the hardware still feels great and there’s massive aftermarket support so there are still benefits to an iPod.

0: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlde9a31f1/...

1: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/devices-windows/mchlbf...

2: https://github.com/clementine-player/Clementine/wiki/Portabl...

I’ve been told in another comment that they still sync, via Finder. I have had issues with that, but it’s probably okay from what other comments say.

I’ve done an online search and I see other people that have had technical issues syncing with Finder. I guess it depends on the macOS version, iPod model… who knows.

I’ve used Clementine but found it to be clunky and unreliable. Again, just my personal experience with it.

Absolutely false. Why would you even post that?

iPods are 100% supported on macOS, and its Music program.

I have five Shuffles, and an iPod Video, and I use at least one of them almost every day, and sync them with my Macs monthly.

I have had issues syncing with Finder on a particular model. I assumed these models no longer worked with the OS. Happy to hear that they do. Maybe it was the OS version, or the model. I should try again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_PMP300

I know some younger gens are looking for phoneless experiences, but for that price you can find old devices and simply recycle their usage. There are enough roms aimed and making a “dumb” mp3 player and include 3.5” and decent audio.

So I wonder if I miss something. The fomo here is messing with me.

I'm happy about this product, I was just looking for something like this not long ago.

There's market for everything. Accept that and move on, particularly when you have no horse on the race.

There is a market for such products, but not for this one, which is a particularly bad implementation, vaporware for Q4 2027 release, and with bad specs for the price.

Tons of such mp3 players, with touchscreens, and even iPod like wheels, on online stores. Go get one.

Who would be the market for this product?

Its expensive so its up market, but all of those buyers would already have phones and would be unlikely to bring another device just to have music that their phone is already exceptionally good at providing.

it's unlikely to be runners or bikers or other endurance athletes as they'll already have their phone or if they use a watch have music on their watch so they don't have to bring a phone.

Phones already do a great job of offline with downloaded music and movies so that doesn't seem like the right crowd.

Most kids get a hand me down phone with no cellular to start with from their parents so that doesn't seem like a good fit.

now i feel like I'm writing the hacker news dropbox review where i say its use case is already easy to do and the product will go nowhere;)

But seriously, who would be the target here?

This device has Bluetooth which the old iPod did not have, which is an enhancement. The old iPod also forces you to sync the music using the iTunes library.

Curious to see how much they sell, I suspect not much

There are, in 2026, dozens of models of mp3 players selling from around $120 to even up to $400 or so, from brands from Chinese OEMs to Sony, including a few that mimic the iPod interface. From iPod style to expensive DAC ones with impendance tailored to high end headphones.

>But seriously, who would be the target here?

People interested in mp3 players.

People who want to focus on music listening, and not have a constant distraction device at hand when doing it.

>Phones already do a great job of offline with downloaded music and movies so that doesn't seem like the right crowd.

Seems like you've missed the whole "back to focused use device" trend going on for the last few years and that general niche.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00lLrwHQPns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaTRhWazMPs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFVo1bmUXzw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viU9JhIsbl4

https://www.audiophileon.com/news/hd-music-player-top-10

https://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/portable/best-portable-mu...

https://www.techradar.com/news/best-mp3-players-techradars-g...

Inexpensive mp3 players are for people who want a distraction-free device, who want a headphone jack, or like physical buttons, I guess, and they also often have somewhat better DACs than a phone, not that my busted hearing can tell. I think decent ones are in the $50-100 range. I have a $70 that I like fine. It's metal, it plays most media formats (not opus, which annoys me, and it flakes out on some specific ogg vorbis). Only thing I don't like is switching between linear and shuffle play is too many button pushes.

I'd be interested in a $250 one or even a $400 one if it had good features. 64GB storage (SD extention is cool, but built-in should be way higher) and 20 hours battery ain't that. No mention of the DAC and headphone specs are a joke. 3.5mm? For $250 I want a 1/4-inch jack for hi-fi headphones as well...

I felt like a real hacker when I did it!

You are also correct but I think I recall 512GB CF being way more expensive than SD which I paid $32 for Sony 2 years ago. Different iPod models had different adapters too. I think the mini was a CF card or similar

By then most of people would forget they even paid for this and also you won’t be able to dispute the 50$ with your payment provider because the dispute window has passed.

I say this as someone who has spent thousands on headphones, amps and DACs over the years. It’s a silly hobby that is far too expensive for what you get out of it

Bluetooth means it works with my airpods and cars, and file playback means I am once again listening to all the music that I love that isn’t on Spotify.

Also, a big microSD means I can throw Organic Maps on it and keep offline maps handy without using iPhone storage, too.

Huge life hack.

It has further led me to buy an android tablet with microSD just for the stuff iOS is bad at (eg emulators, torrenting, cheap storage for movie archives, etc).