Brady Snyder of XDA likes to use his Apple iPod Classic music player in 2024, but is hampered by problems with the device, which is more than 20 years old. So he added an SSD, a USB-C port, and Bluetooth to the 2008 iPod Classic.
One of the best ways to extend the life of an old computer or portable gadget is to replace the hard drive it came with with an SSD. The iPod Classic players once came with a 1.8″ HDD, and the iPod Mini had a 1″ HDD. The portable devices were often dropped, knocked, and shaken, so many of the mechanical data storage devices failed. The enthusiast used an iFlash SATA card to connect a 512GB Kimgston M.2 drive to a hard drive connector.
Disassembling a sixth or seventh generation iPod — «one of the most difficult opening processes you’ll ever do». iFixit has given the iPod Classic hard drive replacement process the highest possible rating of «very difficult». There are warnings at almost every step, and the entire process can take up to two hours. However, installing the iFlash SATA card is easier. It has a DDK Zif connector that connects to the iPod’s ribbon cable and features an M.2 slot with SSD retainers in place. It also comes with a thermal pad to help keep the SSD cool.
«There are obvious disadvantages to consider when considering an iPod Classic SSD. Only certain drives are supported, and they can overheat. In many cases, using an SSD with an iPod is actually slower than using a microSD card. And not every iPod works well with that much storage. Only a few fifth-generation iPod Video and seventh-generation iPod Classic models can even recognize this amount of memory, and RAM limitations reduce the number of songs that can be stored. It was a fun project, but I would recommend that anyone pulling their old iPod out of the drawer upgrade with a microSD card instead of an SSD».
A more practical upgrade is a modification kit from Moonlit Market that adds USB-C and Bluetooth to the iPod Classic. Unfortunately, the SSD upgrade and USB-C/Bluetooth modification are not compatible without creating a special case that takes into account the thickness of all components. The kit has several things that make it unique. First, the process is solderless. The special board connects to the iPod’s standard audio and battery jacks. There’s also no need to dismantle anything from the iPod Classic. Many previous Bluetooth or USB-C implementations on iPods remove the headphone jack or 30-pin connector.
The Moonlit Market kit does not come with clips, so you will need to use glue to secure the board to the case. Also, the Bluetooth connection can sometimes be interrupted, even after taking measures to reduce interference, such as removing the electromagnetic shielding behind the display.
Overall, the USB-C update was the most useful. There are practically no drawbacks, as you can use either the USB-C port or the old 30-pin connector for charging. If you solder three more wires, the USB-C port can also be used for data transfer. Brady Snyder says that using an Apple iPod in 2024 «is fun» and does not provide any practical arguments.