Produced in partnership with Kmart
There was a time when the iPod Touch was considered the pinnacle of portable music technology. If someone had told me that I would one day write about its comeback, I wouldn’t have believed them. How could anything ever surpass that piece of tech?
Yet, if social media is anything to go by (and it always is), here we are.
If you’re reading this, I’ll spare you the explanation of what an iPod is so as not to make you feel ancient. Though just when you thought those days were gone for good, enter Kmart’s newest gadget.
This device costs just $29 and is built on the same idea – you load your music, press play, and that’s about it. The hype started when WA mum Jess Brouwer gave her 76,000 Instagram followers a sneak peek.
“I received a package from Kmart with their new MP3 Player,” she told followers. “It plays music, has FM radio, voice recording, video playback, eBook mode and even an alarm clock. It’s pretty cool!”
The video boasts more than 180,000 views, and the comments section reads like a generational split screen. The comments were flooded with the likes of: “So, an iPod? What’s old is new again.” Another said, “This brings me back.”
Then came the younger crowd with the truly telling questions: How do you get music on it? Does it come with songs? Do you have to buy them?
Jess explained: “I added music that I had purchased from Apple Music and just put them on there from my computer.”
For a generation raised on the infinite buffet of streaming, the whole process sounds borderline absurd. Which is exactly why the recent buzz feels bigger than your usual cheap gadget doing well online.
“Oh my gosh, how much fun is this?” one fan gushed. “This would be great for the kids’ music! I’m buying one for my daughter,” exclaimed another.
Other brands have caught on with the trend as well. This MP3 player from Kogan retails for $84 and boasts a touch screen – a better option for those perhaps not ready to commit to the wheel again.
Meanwhile, over at Amazon, the RUIZU Portable Music Player is available in rose gold, blue and gold. Dick Smith’s version mimics that of an iPod shuffle with its 1.8-inch screen.
Some might say that brands offering these options are part of a bigger shift in how people listen to music. The New York Times recently reported that eBay searches for “iPod” are climbing, while resale prices for some models are up 60 per cent in two years. Refurbished versions can reach almost $600. That kind of resale market doesn’t build on sentiment alone.
