Apple officially discontinued the iPod series in 2022, ending perhaps the most game-changing product in the company’s entire history. Sure, you could debate that the iPhone radically changed life as we know it, but the iPhone was only possible thanks to the innovations found in the iPod. In fact, Steve Jobs tested the merits of an iTunes-based phone with the original Moto Razr, only to then decide it was time for Apple to make the phone from top to bottom.
Cut to a stunning 2 decades later, the iPod’s legacy came to a close when Apple officially discontinued selling it on their website and stores – but we millennials know exactly how crazy the world was for the iPod back in the day. Think queues for blocks, stampedes, and products being sold out for weeks. Although the iPod from the 2000s isn’t particularly impressive by today’s standards, Canadian YouTuber Zac Builds decided to just make his own iPod Video from scratch, with new hardware as opposed to dated tech. I’m talking Bluetooth, better battery, a USB-C port, an SD card to replace the hard drive, and a much clearer, high-contrast IPS screen.
Designer: Zac Builds
Zac starts with a fifth-gen iPod, the so-called iPod Video, a device once synonymous with white earbuds and awkward U2 endorsements. Instead of leaving it frozen in time, he disassembles it with precision. The first mods are visual. He swaps out the click wheel and faceplate for transparent ones from Elite Obsolete, showing off the internal guts like it’s a mechanical watch. The old screen, dim and narrow in viewing angles, is upgraded to a modern panel that’s crisper and much more usable. Side-by-side, the difference is obvious and worth the effort.
Internally, the transformation is far more ambitious. The original mechanical hard drive is tossed in favor of a 256GB SD card, hooked up via an iFlash Solo adapter. That swap alone improves speed, shock resistance, battery life, and storage capacity. Speaking of batteries, Zac replaces the anemic 600mAh cell with a monster 3800mAh one, likely pulled from an old LG phone. It barely fits, but the payoff is real. He reports two weeks of use on a half-charge, so a full charge could realistically stretch across an entire month.
Zac doesn’t stop at cosmetic or practical upgrades. He dives into the circuitry, soldering a USB-C port in place of Apple’s ancient 30-pin connector. With the help of a MUX switch, it handles both power and audio, giving the iPod a single modern port that actually feels current. That part alone is a massive win.
Haptics join the list too. By installing a Taptic Engine from an iPhone 7 and wiring it into the click wheel, Zac adds subtle vibration feedback, transforming the tactile experience into something that feels unexpectedly premium. And then comes Bluetooth. Using a generic transmitter board, he wires it directly into the headphone circuit and routes power from the main battery. Even the hold switch gets a dual-purpose upgrade, acting as a Bluetooth pairing button through a tiny mechanical hack. For those asking, there STILL is a 3.5mm jack on this bad-boy, going to show that the iPod will forever remain an audiophile-first device.
The software overhaul is just as transformative. Out goes the original firmware, in comes Rockbox, an open-source alternative that looks rough at first glance but reveals deep customizability. Audiophiles get granular EQ controls and support for formats like FLAC, ALAC, and APE. It even ships with a playable port of Doom. Best of all, Rockbox removes the iTunes dependency entirely. The iPod now mounts like a USB drive. Music can be dragged and dropped, no syncing, no DRM, no nonsense.
To be honest, that might be the most significant feature on Zac’s iPod 2025. The fact that it isn’t held back by ecosystems and those pesky terms and conditions. It does what an iPod does. It plays music. No subscriptions, no annoying iTunes-based connectivity, and no having your music disabled because of streaming or location restrictions. You OWN the music you play, which in 2025, seems kind of revolutionary.
However, a few flaws still creep in. The professionally 3D-printed transparent backplate from PCBWay looks clean but loses some fine detailing during post-processing. Zac has to trim it with a craft knife to make it fit right. Also, the Bluetooth module has a minor idle power drain, but given the oversized battery, it’s not a dealbreaker.
What Zac has built is a fully modernized music player wrapped in nostalgia and control. It handles Bluetooth audio, charges over USB-C, syncs without iTunes, and has enough battery to forget about charging altogether. I wish it packed wireless charging too, although that does feel like me being a tad bit nitpicky. Zac’s version is the iPod Apple could have made in 2025 if it weren’t so busy fighting battles on app store charges… *bombastic side eye*
The post The iPod Just Got Resurrected with USB-C, Bluetooth, FLAC Support, and No iTunes Lock-in first appeared on Yanko Design.