Apple: release the retro iPod, you cowards

Retro iPod concept — (Image credit: Jon Stoa)

Well, would you look at that. Just days after I called on Apple to re-release the iPod, it emerges that the company did indeed consider dropping a 'retro' version of the beloved gadget. One that, alas, never saw the light of day (it would fit in well with these low-fi gadgets that replace an iPhone).

Jon Stoa was a Senior Art Director at Apple from 2006-2007 – arguably during the golden years of the iPod. And while he appears to have worked primarily on the launch of the iPhone in 2007, his website also includes details of a curious special edition 'retro' iPod, designed to hark back to the company's computers of the '80s – rainbow Apple logo and all.

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It's fascinating to read Stoa's proposal, written in 2006, which describes a nostalgic trend towards 'retro tech'. "There is currently, and has been growing for several years now a retro-trend that reflects a simpler time in the computer age. 8-bit graphics, lo-fi, ASCII art – all are a representation of a time when Apple Computer was saying why “1984 won’t be like 1984”. Of course, the idea of what constitutes retro tech has now completely changed – Gen Z are all about Y2K, the very era Stoa was writing in.

As for the design of the iPod itself, it's certainly a throwback. "The iPod concept that takes advantage of this retro-trend is a limited-edition iPod designed to look like it came from 1984. Using styling cues from the original Macintosh classic (beige casing/inset rainbow Apple logo), this iPod would draw from both the present and the past to make a statement about the role of Apple and the iPod in culture, both now and then."

iPod concept names — (Image credit: Jon Stoa)

The proposal also includes name ideas, including 'iPod backspace' and 'iPod v1.0', all rendered in the early Apple typeface, Apple Garamond. And in terms of distribution, the retro iPod is imagined as a highly limited edition product, available only in certain stores such as Urban Outfitters.

Really, it's no surprise that Apple didn't take this one up. The company isn't known for looking backwards, and the whole '1980's iPod' idea would have probably been too cute and gimmicky for the company, especially in 2006 when it was still actually producing iPods.

But today it could make a lot more sense. A special edition retro iPod is more feasible when the iPod itself is retro – and there are no current models whose sales a limited edition version might cut into. Fans have speculated for a while what a nostalgia-themed iPod re-release could look like. Perhaps now we have our answer.

According to recent reports, Gen-Z are all in on the iPod – with searches for the iPod jumping last year. Indeed, feedback we've had in our comments show that our readers would love an iPod revival, with reasons cited such as moving away from internet-based apps, and not wanting to take up phone space with music files.

Let us know if you'd like a retro iPod in the poll above, our below in the comments. And see these 8 iPod alternatives if you want a modern option.

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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles. He has interviewed leaders and designers at brands including Apple, Microsoft and Adobe. Daniel's debut book of short stories and poems was published in 2018, and his comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller.

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