In 2026, I bought an iPod Classic.
The one I bought is a 5th-generation 30GB model.
It’s a music player that was released about 20 years ago.
Of course, today, you can listen to music with just a smartphone.
Open YouTube, and you can instantly find almost any song you want.
So why would I buy an iPod Classic now?
The reason is very simple.
I wanted to listen to music without touching my phone.
It Started With a CD Player
A little while ago, I bought the KM5 CD2 CD player.
Before that, I often listened to music on YouTube.
It’s convenient, and you can find almost any song in seconds.
But when you open YouTube, you also see things that have nothing to do with music.
Recommended videos.
Thumbnails that catch your attention.
Before you know it, you’re watching something completely unrelated to the music you originally wanted to hear.
That happened to me quite often.
So I decided to step away from algorithms a little and started using a CD player.
Once I actually tried it, I liked it much more than I expected.
Choose a CD and press play.
That’s it.
There’s nothing else to look at, so naturally, I started paying more attention to the music itself.
These days, even when a song is available for free on YouTube, I sometimes buy it from the iTunes Store if I really like it.
It costs money.
But because of that, I find myself listening to the music more intentionally.
It makes that time feel a little more meaningful.
I Wanted to Take That Feeling Outside
The problem is that I mainly use my CD player at home.
I wanted to listen to music the same way while commuting or spending time at a cafe—without relying on my phone.
That’s when I thought of the iPod Classic.
It’s not a modern music player.
In fact, it’s quite old.
But I wasn’t looking for a device with lots of features.
Choose music and press play.
That was all I needed.
Why I Chose the 5th-Generation 30GB Model
The one I bought is a 5th-generation iPod Classic with 30GB of storage.
I bought it on Mercari for around JPY 21,800.
When you look for used iPod Classics today, you can find plenty of customized models with SSD upgrades and other modifications.
They offer more storage and can look attractive if you only compare the specifications.
However, I felt that the quality of an internally modified iPod could depend on the person who worked on it.
I also don’t have the skills to repair or replace those parts myself.
So I decided that I would feel more comfortable with an iPod that was as close to the original internally as possible.
That’s why I chose the 30GB model.
I did, however, want something a little different on the outside.
Mine has been customized with a clear front panel.
I really like it.
It reminds me a little of the transparent electronics from the 1990s.
Even though the iPod itself is old, the design somehow feels fresh today.
The back isn’t transparent, and I currently keep the whole iPod in a clear protective case.
Listening to 20-Year-Old Music on a 20-Year-Old iPod
My iPod has a mixture of music purchased from the iTunes Store and music imported from CDs.
For newer music, I usually buy it from the iTunes Store.
But I also have plenty of old CDs.
Some of them are CDs I made when I was in high school.
That was about 20 years ago.
I import those songs to my Mac and transfer them to my iPod.
So in 2026, I’m carrying around music I listened to 20 years ago on a device that was also created around 20 years ago.
It feels a little strange.
Sometimes I rediscover songs I used to love but haven’t listened to in years.
They aren’t songs an algorithm recommended to me.
They’re songs that I chose for myself years ago.
Rediscovering them has become another thing I enjoy about using an iPod.
Of Course, It’s Pretty Inconvenient
Using such an old device comes with some obvious inconveniences.
First, it requires an old 30-pin cable for charging.
At a time when I can charge almost everything with a single USB-C cable, I have to keep another cable just for my iPod.
Getting music onto it also takes some effort.
I import music from CDs or buy songs from the iTunes Store.
Then I transfer them from my Mac to the iPod.
I’m deliberately taking extra steps to do something that would take only seconds on YouTube.
It’s definitely not convenient.
But Which One Really Takes More Time?
After using it for a while, though, I started wondering:
Is this extra effort really a waste of time?
Buying music and transferring it to an iPod does take a little time.
But I’ve also opened YouTube to find a song, only to end up watching a recommended video.
Or picked up my phone just to check something quickly, then realized I was doing something completely different.
Compared with the time I used to lose that way, the few minutes it takes to put music on an iPod don’t feel like much.
It takes a little more effort.
But in return, I spend more time away from my phone.
For me, that trade-off has been worth it.
The Best Part Is That I Stopped Touching My Phone
The moment I really felt glad I had bought an iPod Classic was when I was reading outside.
I listen to music while reading a book.
If I want to change the song, I use the iPod.
Then I go straight back to my book.
I don’t need to touch my phone.
That turned out to be a much bigger difference than I expected.
When I listen to music on my phone, I have to pick it up whenever I want to change the song.
The moment I do that, I might notice a notification.
Or I might feel tempted to open another app.
But the iPod only has my music.
So once I change the song, that’s it.
I can simply go back to reading.
The same thing happens when I spend time at a cafe.
I listen to music on my iPod and read a book.
Or focus on whatever I’m doing.
And during that time, I don’t have to touch my phone at all.
The iPod has made it much easier to create those moments.
It’s Not Convenient. But It’s Right for Me.
The iPod Classic is far less convenient than a modern smartphone.
The cable is outdated.
You have to transfer the music yourself.
And unlike a streaming service, you can’t instantly search through millions of songs and listen to whatever you want.
So I don’t think it’s something I would recommend to everyone.
But I wasn’t looking for a more convenient music player.
I wanted something that would let me listen to music without touching my phone.
And after actually using it, I’ve found that it helps me focus not only on music, but also on reading and the time I spend at cafes.
I don’t think we need to replace convenient things with inconvenient ones just for the sake of it.
But convenience doesn’t always make our time better.
For me, the iPod Classic has become a small reminder of that.
It may be a music player from about 20 years ago, but surprisingly, it fits my life in 2026 very well.
If You’re Interested in an iPod Classic
I’m personally very happy that I bought an iPod Classic.
However, since Apple no longer makes them, they can be a little difficult to find today.
You can still find some iPod Classics for sale on Amazon, so if you’re interested, it might be worth taking a look.
Since these are older devices, I recommend checking the condition of the iPod and the seller details carefully before buying.
See It in My Daily Life
Most of the items I write about on this blog are things I actually use every day.
If you’d like to see how they fit into my daily life—not just as reviews, but as part of my routines—I share that on YouTube and Instagram.
You’ll find everything from studying and work to coffee, reading, and everyday life in Japan.
Thanks for reading!
