Why the iPod is back in fashion | Your technology | A country

Rapidly rising prices and excessive demand for a product that is no longer sold. More precisely, it is an outdated product that should no longer make sense. We’re talking about the iPod, the popular music player with which Steve Jobs pioneered the transformation of the world of music. Natural heir player It became hegemon for two decades, only to be ended by friendly fire: the iPhone made the iPod redundant. Who wants to have a device with limited functions when for a little more money you can get an iPhone that can do almost everything?

On the supposed tombstone of the iPod we could read “October 23, 2001 – October 2022”; The date of death is somewhat inaccurate, as Apple continued to sell the iPod Touch while supplies ran low. The epitaph was signed by the Cupertino company itself: “The music continues,” which we can read in the suicide note that the manufacturer published in praise of the device. But what no one counted on was the resurrection of the device: upon resale, they are quoted at exorbitant prices, especially if the terminal is sealed. Make fun of Bitcoin at its best: Last Christmas, a sealed iPod sold for $29,000.

Possible reasons

The iPod was swallowed up by the iPhone. The second one absorbed all the functions of the first one, but it was also a telephone, it used the Internet, e-mail… Why then has the iPod now become a cult item? “This should be asked of those who buy vinyl, cassettes and write emails on typewriters,” explains Rafa Espada, a web programmer from San Sebastian who continues to use his old iPod every day. Cult of the ancients, vintagemay be behind these high prices, but there is also a very tangible explanation for this.

“We have been listening to music for many years streaming It’s very convenient, millions of songs are available wherever we are,” explains Espada, “but these platforms, in my opinion, do not quite understand the algorithms and recommendations correctly.” Apple’s algorithm seems inherently more accurate because it starts with a library that the user initially likes. They’ve forgotten about it now, but not so long ago you had to buy the entire album to listen to the song you liked. With the advent of music in streamingthe user decides to choose which song to listen to and at a flat rate for unlimited use.

Part opening The number of songs is fundamentally dependent on the algorithms of platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, and they are a fundamental part of the music experience of our time. “In my case, I use platforms to listen to music for the first time that I think might interest me, bands I don’t know that come to a concert,” explains the programmer. However, the rapid rise in iPod prices is also a result of the law of supply and demand. Since Apple has withdrawn the product from the market, collectors are looking to obtain essentially sealed copies as an investment.

“Retro fever and nostalgia have a cycle of about twenty years,” explains Javier Lacorte, creator of the Apple podcast. endless loop; “After two decades, a fashion, a trend, a product… is beginning to make a comeback.” This product was the epitome of constant and continuous invention by its engineers. There is little room for improvement these days, and we see this in successive iterations of mobile phones (iPhone buyers know this well) in which the camera, processor and body show little or no improvement.

On the other hand, amid the whirlwind of notifications, social media, and other screen-based stimuli, the iPod pretends to keep the basics simple. According to LaCorte, “It has a component that is very contrary to the current reality: it is a device that does only one thing, not thousands, like a smartphone.” This hyper-connectivity is causing new generations to demand basic devices that go back to what is needed. In this sense, the Norwegian manufacturer reMarkable has established itself in a curious segment: e-ink tablets, which, unlike the iPad, are used only for taking notes.

Searches for iPods on Wallapop soar

Dedicated devices play an important role: they only do one thing, but they do it very well. “If you want to listen to music: click play and that’s it,” explains Rafa Espada; “The menu navigation is clear and there are far fewer options than on the iPhone, but it’s more than enough if you want to listen to music.”

Has iPod fever come to Spain? From Wallapop they confirm to EL PAÍS that they did it, and with force. “Search for iPod Classic on Wallapop has increased 73% over the past 4 years,” they say in the press area, and among iPod Classics, the Classic is the most coveted. “Search for iPod Classics peaked on Wallapop in January, up 30% from other months,” the platform says.

Faced with outrage over a discontinued product, many are rummaging through their drawers for an old iPod and putting it up for sale; The truth is that if the equipment is in good condition and, above all, retains its original packaging, you can get some good euros. At least until this fever goes through the machine.

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