A few days ago, when unpacking, I stumbled upon my old iPod classic. I immediately felt nostalgia when I remembered the days of bopping along to Linkin Park through those tinny, white earbuds that came as default.
If youβre not as lucky as me, you can always pick up a secondβor third-hand iPod classic on the internet, but if you donβt want to do that, there is another wayβkind of. TinyPod is a case that lets you hold and use your Apple Watch like you would an iPod. It comes with a cutout for both the screen and back sensor, and if you upgrade to the $79 version, you even get a scroll wheel, which controls the digital crown.
TinyPod isnβt just a case for reliving days gone by, though. Itβs designed to make your Apple Watch a more capable companion to your phone. Say youβre going on a run and don't want to drag around your iPhone 15 Pro Max. Chuck your cellular Apple Watch into the TinyPod case, and youβve got a compact phone that you can control with a scroll wheel.
It doesnβt try to replace your phone, and thatβs kind of where the appeal comes from. Recently, weβve seen a number of products (usually AI-powered launches) striving to become your main device, but they are often underpowered, too costly, or not smart enough. TinyPodβs βif you can't beat em, join emβ approach is a more accessible way to cut down on phone usage whilst retaining most of the smart features you might need.
According to the makers, TinyPod will start shipping sometime this summer. It comes in three different sizes and sells for either $29 for the lite version without the scroll wheel or $79 for the standard version.