Last year, Apple announced the end of the iPod Touch — and with it, the end of the iPod as something that you could buy a new edition of from Apple. That doesn’t mean that there still aren’t iPods out there; it doesn’t take much digging to find a thriving community of people maintaining and upgrading old iPods in 2023.
It’s not hard to see why; the iPod Classic is a fantastic piece of industrial design, and there’s something to be said for having a dedicated device for one purpose that fulfills that purpose very well. (Full disclosure: I have an upgraded iPod classic here and am considering upgrading a second one.)
That said, it’s one thing when speciality electronics stores and mail-order businesses embrace customizing and transforming iPods — it’s something else when a large retailer enters the mix. As reported by Mashable, Urban Outfitters was selling souped-up first-generation iPods — by way of restoration company Retrospekt — for $199.00 apiece.
Urban Outfitters seems to have found a number of takers for the devices — as Mashable’s Elizabeth de Luna reported, the iPods are no longer available for sale, which feels like a good sign that they’re sold out. Retrospekt’s own inventory of refurbished iPods also appears to be tapped out at the moment.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of vintage iPods out there to buy — or plenty of parts and kits to upgrade yours at home, if you’re so inclined. As of this writing, the company Elite Obsolete Electronics currently has a number of different iPods for sale, from the first generation of the device on through more recent iterations of it.
As someone who’s found a lot to like about revisiting having a dedicated music player on hand, I heartily recommend the experience. It’s a welcome reminder that not every device needs to do everything — and of the elegant design of the old-school iPod.
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