The iPod will celebrate its 20th anniversary next month, and while it's not clear whether Apple will celebrate this anniversary in a meaningful way, one concept artist imagines what it would be like if the company were to bring back a music player with a click wheel He states

In his latest YouTube video, designer Andrea Copellino created the 2021 iPod Classic, which follows the flat aesthetic introduced in the iPhone 12 and iPad Pro The glossy metal back of the original iPod gets a nod on the sides, but not on the back, because Copellino chose to imagine that the fictional 2021 model would feature wireless charging

He also assumes that Apple will not include a 35mm headphone jack, opting instead for a wireless experience centered around the use of the AirPod

The user interface has been updated to be more colorful and curvy than the original text design Copellino also kept the original click wheel, but updated the icons to match the latest Apple TV 4K remote control

He admits that he would probably rather go full screen than bring back the control scheme abandoned in 2014, but Copellino defends his choice by pointing out that without it, he would just be drawing an iPhone 12

The first iPod, released on October 23, 2001, revolutionized portable music; at a time when MP3 players were thin sticks that could barely hold more than an album's worth of music, Apple introduced a sophisticated product with a 5GB capacity that could hold up to 1,000 songs introduced a sophisticated product with a 5GB capacity that could hold up to 1,000 songs

However, with the advent of smartphones, dedicated MP3 players declined in popularity, and the iPod was no exception the first iPhone, released in 2007, was the best multitasking device available and was further developed in subsequent generations

The iPod Classic disappeared in 2014 And the iPod Touch, still available in Apple stores but hidden in a submenu in the Music section and not refreshed since 2019, has a 4-inch screen, thick bezels, and an Apple 10 chip In other words, it has the same power as the iPhone 7 but looks like an iPhone 5, hardly desirable in 2021

Copellino has made it clear that his rendering is a bit of a tease and that the chances of Apple making such a device are slim to none However, that does not mean that Apple has completely given up on the idea of a dedicated music player

MacRumors writer Steve Moser claimed in May that Apple might bring back the iPod Touch "this fall" He included a bunch of renderings showing a device much like the iPhone 12 with square edges and Face ID for unlocking

Given that we have not seen any other leaks or heard anything about a possible new iPod Touch since then, Moser's follow-up tweet (which is a rumor, not confirmed leaked information) is probably prescient However, the iPod will celebrate its 20th birthday in 47 days