Gen Z loophole sparks old-school iPod comeback
▼ Summary
– Apple discontinued the iPod in 2022, 21 years after its debut revolutionized the music industry.
– Gen Z users are increasingly buying secondhand iPods because the devices cannot go online, making them usable where iPhones are not.
– The iPod’s inability to go online also offers distraction-free music playback, unlike phones where notifications and apps can interrupt listening.
– Many Gen Z users were not born when early iPod models launched, but they discover them through gifts or by searching online marketplaces.
– Sales of secondhand iPods are surging, as reported by Axios, The New York Times, and Associated Press.
Apple pulled the plug on the iPod in 2022, ending a 21-year run that began with the first-generation model and forever changed how people listened to music. Now, a surprising resurgence is underway, driven largely by Gen Z users who are flocking to these obsolete devices for a very specific reason: they cannot connect to the internet. That apparent limitation has become their greatest asset, as the iPod is allowed in places where an iPhone is not. While the iPhone inherited the iPod’s music capabilities and continues to generate revenue through Apple Music subscriptions on iPads and Macs, a growing number of young listeners are rediscovering the appeal of a gadget that does one thing and one thing only: play downloaded songs. Apple may no longer manufacture new iPods, but sales of secondhand iPods are climbing sharply on third-party marketplaces, according to reports from Axios, The New York Times, and the Associated Press.
Many members of Gen Z were not even born when Apple debuted the original iPod, let alone the subsequent lineup that included the iPod Classic, iPod Mini, iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, and iPod Touch. The iPod Touch, in particular, resembled the iPhone with its app support but lacked cellular calling. Despite their age, young users are embracing these devices. Kelvin Chan of the Associated Press, for instance, notes that his 16-year-old daughter discovered an old iPod Nano that once belonged to her grandmother. Other teens and twenty-somethings are either receiving used iPods as hand-me-downs or actively hunting for them on resale sites.
The appeal goes beyond nostalgia or the novelty of a retro gadget. Many young users find that the iPod offers a distraction-free music experience. One young iPod enthusiast told The New York Times that listening to music on a smartphone is constantly interrupted by notifications, app alerts, and other digital clutter. The iPod, by contrast, can only play music, creating a focused, uninterrupted listening environment that feels refreshingly simple in an age of constant connectivity.
(Source: BGR)
