iPod of 2026

functionmouse

What DAC/amplification circuitry does it use? Does it support bit perfect playback the same way my iPod/sansa clip/computer do? Or is everything crushed to 48khz like a smartphone? 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?

nticompass

Reminds me of the Tangara mp3 player: https://cooltech.zone/tangara/ 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.

jerrygenser

ipod of 2026 ships q4 2027.. is that a typo on the shipping date?

rsync

I use and maintain an "ipod" in the form of an old pixel 3 with 128 GB of memory that has no SIM card and no software installed except for VLC. It stays in airplane mode. It has a real headphone jack.

frio

What does this offer over, say, an Innioasis https://www.innioasis.com/products/y2 ? What Bluetooth codecs does it support; will I be able to use LDAC/LDHC/AAC/AptX HD/etc.? Is "Sudo OS" something I can hack and play with?

pwthornton

It doesn't seem to list what it supports. How do I get music on here? What kind of codecs are supported?

nxc18

You can also just buy an iPod in 2026, they are still well supported on Mac and PC. You can get them with new batteries quite cheaply. You can even get 30-pin Bluetooth adapters for them.

chinathrow

This is all nice but, aren't there patents on some of the features visible?

uyui

There already is Shanling Q2 which looks like iPod, but also has lossless.

robin_reala

Presumably Apple has a patent on the clickwheel? But maybe that just expired given the first iPod is now 25 years old.

uyui

THere's already a player that looks like classic iPod and even supports loseless playback out this year, Shanling Q2.

meerita

One the picture depicts a really fat device. Feels like you will have a brick in your hand.

madaxe_again

If only it would run off a single AA battery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_PMP300

MarvinYork

At first, I read “Suno” and thought it was a music player that lets you listen to music generated just for you. “Play me some music about a breakup between two sailors,” and there you go — the perfect album for the occasion.

rock_artist

Maybe it’s me being old but I don’t understand why I’d want this device for 249$. 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.

comrade1234

I still have an iPod in my car and I still have a big collection of music but I've stopped collecting music. I haven't bought/downloaded anything in years because there is so much good streaming out there. I mostly switch between nts.live 1 and 2, dublab, and dublab Germany. When there's something annoying on one channel there is almost always something good on another.

mococa

Nice, I was just searching for something like that!

chollida1

I though $50 seems like a fair price for what you'd get. And then I saw it was only a deposit. A retail price of $250 seems way over the mark for what it is. 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?

coldtea

Shipping Q4 2027? Let me know then. Even if it ships on time, that's like a year ahead, and who knows what else will be available by the time (it's not like there's not a thriving niche mp3 player market).

Aboutplants

Just use an old iPhone as your music player. You probably have one in a drawer somewhere