You might be one of those people who miss the days of using a device to do just one thing, like listening to music. It was the era of the Walkman, from Sony, or the iPod, from Apple. The latter is no longer, but you can still taste the “wheel experience” thanks to an application to be installed on your smartphone.
In 2021, the iPod celebrated its 20th anniversary. Last year, Apple officially announced the end of its iconic walkmans. But, for the most nostalgic, there is always a simple solution to revive some memories: install an application that transforms your smartphone into… iPod.
The iPod, a whole era
On October 23, 2001, the first iPod of the name was born. “1000 songs in your pocket” was Apple’s promise. A product which, in the words of Steve Jobs, “has not only changed the way we listen to music, but the entire music industry”. In July 2002, the second iPod and the opening to Windows made sales take off. Apple will renew its player every year or so, regularly launching new ranges ranging from the iPod mini through the shuffle, the nano, and of course the iPod touch.
The ever-increasing features and ever-lower prices of smartphones have gotten the better of Apple’s music player. Steve Jobs said it himself when he called the iPhone a “best iPod ever”. The iPod will go down in history as a huge success that marked an entire generation. A nostalgia on which some developers surf who offer applications to “rekindle the flame” of the iPod on our smartphones.
Turn your smartphone into an iPod, or almost
The applications that we are going to present to you are not new, but have recently seen a resurgence of interest thanks to a few TikTok videos highlighting them. The first of these is called “RetroPod”. You can find it on the Apple App Store and install it for free. It then transforms the interface of your iPhone into iPod classic.
Navigation is then done using the wheel which is perhaps less practical than the touch screen, but remains incredibly intuitive. The good news is that you don’t have to download your music to your phone like you had to on your iPod. However, you need to sign in to Apple Music to find your library. The bad news? The app does not support Spotify let alone Deezer…
If you are on Android, you can download retroPod app. It is not from the same developer, but offers a similar interface. Its operation is however different insofar as it is necessary to download your music directly on the telephone, as on the iPod. This is because no streaming service can be connected.
For those who don’t want to try their luck on mobile, you can always go to this website and sign in to your Apple Music or Spotify account to listen to your favorite music. And, yes, you can also play the “breakout” game with the wheel, which requires some skill.
Mashable
