The Vergecast · Thursday, October 1, 2026
A caller suggested that Apple should bring back the iPod, specifically a non-phone version, for users who want to own their music rather than relying solely on streaming services. The idea is to offer a dedicated device for music playback, even at a higher price point, to compete with streaming models.
“I just bought an iPod for my girlfriend for her birthday and we've both been using our iPods for CDs and stuff. Part of that is because we want to own music, but part of it is just the form factor is awesome. And we were talking about it and we were like, they need to bring back an iPod.”
“I would buy that exact form factor for $500 and I would cancel Spotify today and get Apple Music if it worked with a physical non-phone iPod.”
“To me, it just seems obvious that it's time to bring back the iPod. Maybe this week someone will hear this at Apple and decide that people don't want pervert AirPods. They want click wheels.”