The Apple iPod was a revolutionary device. Okay, but in all seriousness, it sold revolutionarily well. The iPod Classic was killed in 2014, the Shuffle and Nano going dodo in 2017, and the iPod Touch (the only iPod I ever owned) biting the dust in 2022. Now, I can wax poetic about the iPod Touch, but killing it was the right decision for Apple, and it has no reason to really come back. The standalone music devices are exactly what Apple needs right now.
The elephant in the room: nostalgia.
The iPod has seen a major resurgence in popularity recently. People are longing for the 2000s. With Gen Z now the newest in the adult world, the demand for things popular back then has skyrocketed. This also rides on the back of the general nostalgia for vintage media consumption with records and CDs. People owning their music and having a distraction-free experience, all the while still enjoying the convenience of having 1,000s of songs on them at all times. The iPod provides this experience. You can put your CD rips on there or purchase digital music from various stores.
The good: Apple, the bad: tech addiction, and the ugly: Liquid Glass.
Apple makes good stuff. They have some flops, but even the flops hit a nerve in the public eye. However Apple has been going through a rough stint. First, Apple Intelligence was more or less a humiliation ritual for them. It hasn't shipped in its entirety yet, and what has come isn't even on its customers' radar. The next has been Liquid Glass, the new design language from Apple. Every person in my immediate family who has gotten the update has immediately been put off by it. Mind you, these are average people, not techies, making it that much more of a problem for a company like Apple. Then the cherry on top: people are just sick of their phones. Almost every day there is a new study, report, or scandal showing us how our devices are actively harming us. People want to get away from their phones, and considering the iPhone is Apple's bread and butter, that isn't a good sign for the company.
The modern iPod
Great ad and great song too ...
What should Apple do? Release a modern iPod Classic. All companies are getting in on the retro rush right now. Even Microsoft released a pair of Windows XP Crocs, which, if that isn't a distraction attempt from the present, I don't know what is. But I am not talking about Apple doing some cheap gimmick; I think Apple could have a serious market hit again with the iPod. People are going back in on having multiple devices, so having an iPod and a phone in your pocket? No big deal. On top of that, Apple could sell so many of its services and accessories as add-ons for the iPod; it would just be compounding cash.
A modern iPod would have a few key features. First: Bluetooth, but not just normal Bluetooth, but AirPods support. An iPod that can be used with AirPods? Say less: instant smash hit. Then what about an iPod with WiFi? You could AirDrop your files to your device, OR Apple could put Apple Music on it and have a dedicated streamer. Apple has now sold you a subscription and a pair of AirPods ON TOP of the iPod in your hands. Of course, I would want 3rd party streaming to come to the iPod too, like Spotify and Tidal, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. Finally, some quality-of-life improvements with an OLED screen and haptic motors for clicking around the menu would just be great... and a headphone jack too.
A modern iPod would be the best parts of an iPhone: Bluetooth and WiFi. Without all the iPhone crap: notifications, the ability to be contacted, and general clutter. However, we can't ignore the similarities to the iPhone.
The iPhone Problem
Adding WiFi to the iPod is a risky decision. With the inclusion of 3rd party streaming apps, what could stop it from becoming an iPhone? Well, first Apple should make it clear it isn't an iPhone. This imaginary iPod OS should be much different from iOS. No notifications, no in-device browser; all the app can do is download itself and the data it needs to run. That is all it needs. This would give us all the convenience of modern devices without all the cruft that modern devices have put into our lives. Apple can and knows how to lock something down; I have no doubt they could do it here and do it right.
"An iPod, a phone, and a internet communicator" - Steve Jobs
Probability of this future
None. I highly doubt this will ever happen. Apple hasn't really got a reputation for resurrecting dead products. Even if this wasn't the iPod and was called something different (iPod Pro comes to mind), I think the market is still too small for Apple to consider it. Which is a real shame. Cause I think, with no numbers to back this up at all, that a new iPod would sell more than Apple Vision Pro, HomePod, maybe even the Apple TV. Its hype and novelty would be so welcome in a world of just boring glass slab smartphones. But alas, I think this really isn't on the table.
While I am skeptical of the iPod gracing us with its presence once again, I more than welcome Apple to rip off this entire recipe for a modern iPod I created. If one does come into existence, I will be one of the first people to buy one. I just ask that it remains under $400.