Why I Use An iPod in 2024
Please forgive the YouTube-inspired title. It's a joke. Mainly.
Anyway, yes, I do actually use an iPod (specifically, a fourth generation (2004, click wheel) 20 GB model) as my music player when I'm out and about, or occasionally when lounging around the house. There are a few reasons for this that work for me that probably don't for most people.
Firstly: I still use wired headphones (over-ear at home, in-ear outside). The iPod has a 3.5mm headphone jack, obviously; equally obviously, my iPhone (like almost all recent phones) does not. Sure, there are convertors, but that's faff. So while I still avoid dragging myself into the 2020s and use Bluetooth, the iPod is actually more convenient.
As a digression: it's really nice being able to use my pocket computer without a wire getting tangled up in it. Maybe this argues for AirPods, but I noticed because of the iPod, so why not just keep using it?
Secondly: I listen to albums. All the way through, in artist-decided order. Old ones, that I've had for years, usually. I also don't use Spotify, Apple Music, or any other streaming source. So it's not important for my music device to actually be connected to the internet, ever. An occasional sync to put music on isn't the worst thing, especially as my tastes change glacially nowadays (and have for years).
Like I said, these are almost certainly unusual preferences now, at least if the flood of Spotify years in review and wireless buds are any indication. If I get AirPods, I'll probably switch back to music on my phone (which certainly handles compilations better). Still, it's nice having the music I own on a device, and that's far less likely to change than headphone technology.
I will say: if you're like me, and listen to albums (or rarely-changing playlists) on wired headphones, consider a dedicated device (either an old iPod, or something like the Shanling M0 Pro, which looks like an iPod nano 6th gen, but better). It might work for you, too.
