The Apple Watch, often overlooked by modding enthusiasts, has been subject to various transformations. From necklaces and armbands to AirPods hiding places, the possibilities are endless. Now, a new gadget called TinyPod aims to turn your Apple Watch into a miniature iPod Classic, adding a touch of retro charm to your wrist.
The premise is simple yet effective: take a popular product, infuse it with nostalgic technology, and create a functional hybrid. This is exactly what TinyPod achieves, turning your Apple Watch into an iPod Classic that runs watchOS and offers far more functionality than its vintage counterpart. The highlight is the physical scroll wheel, which provides a more convenient and intuitive interaction than the tiny Apple Watch crown. For those with smaller hands, the wheel offers a welcome solution to the frustrations of manipulating the crown.
The TinyPod seamlessly integrates with the Apple Watch, offering a sleek design that feels like an official Apple product. Its polished aesthetics, clean animations, font selection, and blue-white-gray theme all scream Apple. The gadget allows you to handle calls, messages, emails, news, weather, and music – essentially everything you can do on the Apple Watch. The magic lies in the wheel’s ingenious mechanism, which directly contacts the Apple Watch crown, allowing for natural scrolling across the operating system.
The TinyPod team envisions a future where you can leave your phone behind, relying solely on your cellular Apple Watch. This, of course, requires investing in the cellular version of the smartwatch. The design ensures compatibility with features like Namedrop, contactless payments, and magnetic charging. TinyPod even promises extended battery life due to the elimination of wrist detection.
For those who prefer a more minimalist approach, there’s the TinyPod Lite, which lacks the scroll wheel. Both versions support the mainline Apple Watches, including the SE and the Ultra models, and are compatible with 40/41mm, 45/44mm, and 49mm watch sizes. The standard TinyPod costs $80, while the Ultra-compatible version is priced at $90. The TinyPod Lite, without the scroll wheel, is available for $30. Shipping is scheduled to begin this summer. While the allure of this gadget is undeniable, only time will tell if it will become a beloved addition or another temporary tech fling.
