The Retro Future Modernizes Apple’s iPod Classic

A tattered vintage iPod Classic rests on a workshop, its aluminum exterior bent like an overinflated balloon. Scratches mar the surface, and the screen has battle scars from being pushed into a too tight pocket. This little relic from 2007 was purchased on eBay for peanuts, held 80 gigabytes of songs on a spinning hard drive that weighed it down like a boat anchor, and was once an important part of a music lover’s everyday life. It’s now in the capable hands of YouTuber The Retro Future, who is resurrecting yesterday’s technology to become tomorrow’s best companion.

Open the case with a plastic tool, and the insides pour out in a confused mess of ribbons and screws. Six Phillips heads on each side hold the whole device together, but they come out quite simply. The first step is to remove the bloated old battery, a 600 milliamp-hour monster that has inflated to the point where it is pressing down on the screen, leaving some faint pressure imprints that resemble finger prints from inside. Unplug the ribbon cable, and it slides right out and into the trash. The hard drive comes next; simply tug on its connector to reveal the motherboard, complete with capacitors and wires. The screen then falls off, and the cracked display serves as a reminder of how difficult life can be. Remove the click wheel, and the adhesive pads that remain on the frame serve as a reminder of how Apple used to construct things. Unpicking the item only takes about 10 minutes, but each component you remove reveals how delicate the whole thing has become over time.

The iFlash Solo adapter is a little board that simply inserts into the hard drive’s ribbon wire to cover a gap. Say goodbye to the whirling hard drive; now you have an SD card that can contain terabytes of music, assuming the card allows it. The weight is reduced by half right there and then, from a bulky old beast to something that will fit in your denim pocket without complaint. The author gives it a quick test, syncing a playlist from iTunes to a neighboring laptop. Songs load quickly, and skips disappear when you’re jogging over rocky ground. Just this one adjustment gives the old thing new life and reliability when it was before struggling.

Screens are all about precision; the old one breaks somewhat more each time you look at it, and the pixels have faded due to backlight leakage. A new one arrives, sharp and snappy, with connectors that simply fit without difficulty. Snap it in, and it comes to life with a little power from a bench supply. The colors clearly stand out – sharper than expected, with deeper blacks that aren’t yellowed and faded. Then, replace the click wheel with one made of clear glass, exposing the tactile pads underneath. Each scroll clicks into place, and you can hear it through the shell. If you want a little more, you can switch in a haptic engine from an old iPhone, with one of the wires taped in flat and foam-secured so it buzzes away every time you interact with it. When you press play, the vibration buzzes through your thumb, giving navigation the impression of a true dialog with the computer.

Battery life is a genuine endurance test for this little gadget, as the original model barely made it past three songs before asking to be plugged in again, its cells fried from all the cycles. But the latest upgrade is a completely different story, with 3,800 milliamp-hours – six times the battery life of the original – and all acquired from a supplier who guarantees no bad battery swelling surprises. The battery fits nicely into its frame, with some foam padding to keep it stable and a clean ribbon cable that connects directly to the board. Charge it up with the bright new USB-C port, and you’ll be rewarded with a steady blue indicator light. When it reaches full capacity, it will provide you with days of playback on a single charge; simply top it off and it will continue to function. I put it through a test loop of records, and it hummed merrily for hours, only dimming the screen to save power when the battery ran low. No more anxiety in the middle of your commute because your iPod has run out of battery; this device lasts longer than the walk to the nearest power outlet.

But then Boxypixel comes along and takes it a step further with a machined aluminum case that elevates the whole appearance and feel. The contours are flawless, replicating the original form down to the last millimetre, but they had to make minor tweaks to accommodate the new USB-C connector and ventilation to protect the Bluetooth module from overheating. The front glass panel has a protective film that will keep it looking brand new for as long as possible, and when you’re ready to hang it on the wall, you can remove the film to reveal a clear view. Inside, a custom PCB handles all of the charging and Bluetooth protocol functions without exhausting the battery, and the hold button switches are simple to use. The back is held together with beautiful long screws, and instead of glass, they utilized carbon fiber to give it a grip that won’t slip out of your sweaty hands.

Bluetooth completes the package, allowing you to connect your headphones quickly and easily. Simply turn it on in the settings menu, and the lights will begin flashing at you; place your headphones in pair mode, and it will lock right in, with no codes or apps to deal with. The music is clear as a bell, and the bass thumps wonderfully via your earbuds without the inconvenience of being connected to a wire. The headphone jack is still present, but wireless is undoubtedly the way of the future, and this iPod eliminates all those annoying cord snarls.
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