Newar, a former designer of Snapchat, has created a third-party scene for fans of the iPod and the Apple Watch called tinyPod and yes, it pretty much is a throwback to the iPod. It has that scroll wheel button that everyone loves and it is just a little bit bigger than the fourth generation iPod Nano by a few millimetres.
To break it down, the tinyPod is an enclosure for the Apple Watch but with a scroll and click wheel that can control the watch’s Digital Crown, giving it that second generation iPod feel. And even though it resembles a lot like a vintage MP3 player, the website states that it works with Apple’s watchOS software, turning it into a minimalistic, distraction-free phone.
This summer. Live different pic.twitter.com/7qvu5Sm3Xv
— 𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆𝖯𝗈𝖽 (@thetinypod) May 24, 2024
The tinyPod comes in three different sizes. It works with Apple Watch’s OS software from Series 4 to 9, along with the Apple Watch SE. Two of them being 41/40mm and 45/44mm both retail at US$79.99 (~RM373). Meanwhile, the 49mm version, which retails at US$89.99 (~RM420), works with the Apple Watch Ultra. If you’d prefer something more minimalistic, there’s also the tinyPod “lite” coming in at US$29.99 (~RM140) without the scroll wheel button. It supposedly has multi-day battery life if the device’s wrist detection is turned off, while charging is conducted via a magnetic attachment, similar to how an Apple Watch is charged.
You could say that the enclosure does live up to its billing as a minimalist, distraction-free, nostalgia-filled device, but it still adheres to the Apple Watch’s software capabilities including messaging, phone calls, email, the Weather app, Maps, Calculator, Music, and even more. It’s pretty much everything you need in the palm of your hand.
The tinyPod is now available for pre-order ahead of shipments in the US, however, it is not available in Malaysia as of yet.
Haikal Nazri contributed to this article.
