One Tech Tip: A new generation is reviving the iPod for distraction-free listening

(9 Apr 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
London, England- April 8, 2026
1. Various of Kelvin using iPod
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press:
“Remember the iPod? It's making a quiet comeback. Apple's digital music player is popular again even though it was killed off in 2022. The iPod is popular especially among young people, who are interested not just in its retro looks but also for its ability to play music without smartphone distractions or playlists dictated by algorithms.”
3. Mid of Kelvin using iPod
4. Close up of Kelvin plugging in headphones
5. Mid of Kelvin using iPod
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press
“Now if you’re interested in getting an iPod there are plenty of secondhand or refurbished devices for sale on online marketplaces. Or ask around. Apple made an estimated 450 million iPods over two decades so you’re bound to know someone who has maybe forgotten that they have one and has left it lying in a drawer somewhere.”
7. Mid of Kelvin listening to music
8. Close up of headphones
9. Wide of Kelvin using iPod
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press:
“You will also a need an ipod charging cable. It's the one with a wide flat plug. Apple doesn't make them anymore but aftermarket manufacturers do offer them. If you can charge the battery, you're in business.”
11. Close up of Kelvin showing and plugging in iPod
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press:
“You might want to do a factory reset to wipe the ipod back to its original settings. And to add music to an ipod, you can drag and drop your audio files using iTunes on a Windows computer, or Apple Music on a Mac.”
STORYLINE:
Remember the iPod? It's making a quiet comeback.

Four years after Apple killed off its digital music player, secondhand sales are surging, It's fueled in part by young people interested not just in its retro looks but a desire to listen to music in a focused way and with playlists not determined by algorithms.

“There’s a growing trend, particularly amongst younger users, to mitigate the ease with which they can be distracted by smartphones, often driven by mental health and well-being concerns,” said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight. “Having a dedicated music device, such as an iPod, is a good way to reduce your dependence on a smartphone and avoid being drawn into other activities, like doomscrolling through social media feeds, when you only really want to listen to music.”

If you're interested in joining the iPod revival, here are some pointers:

How to get an iPod
You can't buy a new iPod anymore but it's not too hard to get your hands on a used one. There are still a lot of them around because Apple sold 450 million over two decades.

There's a thriving secondhand market, as evidenced by thousands of listings for used iPods on eBay. “Based on my discussions with people in the market, there has definitely been renewed interest in refurbished iPods,” said Wood.

But watch out, because eBay, strangely, also has thousands of listings for new iPods. On closer inspection, they're from China-based sellers and some buyers have left feedback complaining they received a used or refurbished device in counterfeit packaging.

Facebook Marketplace, peer-to-peer reselling site Mercari and refurbished electronics platform Back Market also have plenty of listings. Back Market, which operates in the U.S., Japan and more than a dozen European countries, said iPod sales last year jumped 48% from 2024.

There are also businesses dedicated to selling refurbished iPods.













Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/a7137dee8725470384c7b858965031e8