over the years I tested MANY dedicated audio players[1]. And here is the thing: I'm still using an Apple iPod Nano 7g for music and audio books (m4b), because in my opinion there is nothing that comes close in usability and flexibility.
Here is why:
Music, Audiobooks, Podcasts - all supported
Tiny size - although not mandatory I hate bulky phones in my pocket
Battery life - Can listen for days without running out of battery
Usability - Greate UI Design and Earphone remote support[2]
Bluetooth 4.0 - already supported
Interchangeable storage - if the internal flash dies, the device is broken forever
Replaceable battery - it's hard to repair
Audio formats - flac support would be nice
Wireless sync - Not having to copy files via cable would be nice to have
Although I'm not skilled enough in PCB-Design, after some research I found the Lilygo T-Display S3 Pro[4] based on ESP32 S3, which would be the size, but lacks audio and OS. There is also the Mango PI CyberPad[7], which looked interesting, but maybe is already too clunky.
Programming wise, LVGL[8] may be a good framework to develop a modern and efficient UI - at least it looks promising.
So, why is nobody interested in recreating an iPod nano like device? It should be doable with modern tech, but Phones have completely taken over the market...
1: https://www.reddit.com/r/audiobooks/comments/14ue4un/comment...
2: https://github.com/advplyr/audiobookshelf-app/issues/847
3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TedIzmguP0
4: https://www.lilygo.cc/products/t-display-s3-pro
5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C597AkhGtw
My guess is that an iPod Nano can’t replace your iPhone so you’re going to have one anyway. If you already have one, why buy something else that doesn’t offer any extra features? Same goes for things like battery life, I’m already charging my phone every night, listening to audio is a very small additional battery drain so my daily habits don’t change.
Combine that with the fact that a lot of people listen to music via streaming services, the Apple Watch exists (works well for runners that don’t want to carry a phone) and you can start to see why the market for an iPod nano is pretty niche these days.
I don’t mean to discourage you, love the research you’ve done and your passion for the concept! Just know that if you build it out it’s going to be a niche product. Nothing wrong with that.
So there would be definetely a market in my opinion :-) And since there are modern Android High Res DAP[1] devices like:
I just don't understand why they are ONLY focusing on bulky android stuff. Maybe to support Spotify, Audible and Quboz.[1]: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hi-res-portable-daps-compari...
It's just like portable GPS devices, electronic organizers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdeE_kiG5Co), electronic translators/dictionaries, calculators, alarm clocks, ...
Oh, I did in a side comment :-) There is nothing like the
> Earphone remote support[2]
with its tap codes to control the playback. See https://github.com/advplyr/audiobookshelf-app/issues/847 for details
I'm very nostalgic for the iPod days but it's just a bygone era. Us music-lovers and audiophiles have upgraded our game.
But for audio books, I did not find an app, that is free, does not crash and supports earphone remote like iPods do (I tested audiobookshelf, smart audiobook player and many many others) :-)
For going to bed or taking a walk I still love my distraction free, remote controllable iPod Nano 7.
1: https://github.com/navidrome/navidrome/issues/1417 2: https://beets.io/
My desired feature set otherwise doesn't differ too much from yours. Flac, BT for headphones, wifi to sync (from something that isn't itunes), support for larger sdcards, and maybe charging over anything but the 30pin. And then that one annoying bug - it'd be nice if 'shuffle all' didn't internally create a playlist that contained every song, creating an artificial limit on how many tracks can be used because that playlist fills the ram.
But what the full-size ipod really benefits from at the moment is aftermarket parts - chassis, shell, screen, touchwheel, batteries, etc. The logic board is really the only supply-constrained part left, and just addressing that one part cuts down the manufacturing dramatically.
Unfortunately the Nano doesn't garner the same aftermarket. Largely because it's dangerous & near-impossible to remove the innards once the battery starts swelling - so the biggest driver to rebuild it comes hand-in-hand with the inability to do so.
However, I found a way to mod one of my iPod Nano 7g (i got plenty) by milling out the aluminium backplate to fit in a 600mah iPod Mini battery. It's too thick, but width and height fit perfectly. With a protecting silicon case I now (kind of) probably own the only iPod nano with replaceable battery (without taking it apart completely). This is also kind of dangerous, because the battery has no real protection except the silicone case and as we all know lithium batteries are the worst when penetrated or bent. I'm working on this but still: 600mah is nearly 3 times the capacity of the original one :-)
There is also recent progress in hacking the iPod Nano 6g / 7g, but I think nobody cares any more... see https://github.com/CUB3D/ipod_sun for details.
"Like" is very different from "want to buy". It just so happens, I've got a device in my pocket (well right now, my hands) that does that job adequately enough. And it does video. And it does interpersonal communication. And I can read documents on it.
I remember before smartphones that the market was so saturated with cell phones that companies were basically just throwing out strange form factors to set themselves apart. The entire market was hype. People bought phones based on what their carrier had available, and they picked their carrier based on the plans available, and they picked a plan based on their needs. 10 free ringtones, unlimited email for $30 a month. All the manufacturers knew what people wanted, one device to rule them all, a general purpose computer in their pocket, but none of them could either pull it off or bring themselves to destroy the rest of their consumer electronics business. As soon as apple did it, the demand for everything else evaporated. You buy one device and you no longer need a TomTom, a DVD player in your car headrest, an mp3 player, you name it, its gone. The only things that survived are things that hook up to a big screen in front of your couch, and the screen itself. Gaming computers are a thing, but besides that they're workstations. There's only one personal media device now, and everyone has one.
So yes, there's interest in this stuff. I'm personally pretty interested in a little device that just plays sound through a 3.5mm jack that takes a micro SD card and doesn't need daily charging. I'd also be interested in such a device for books (that runs koreader and absolutely nothing else). No networking, no multipurpose, nothing, just that. But admittedly, what I'd pay for those things is low, because I already have something adequate for those purposes, and it's a niche market, there aren't a lot of people that see the benefit to an eBook reader that at least can't google something real quick over WiFi.
Thanks for you opinion :-) That may be it... was the same for me for a long time, but I also admit that my mind changed a bit. I already thought about paying a whole lot of money for a device that either exactly fitted my needs or even may pay someone to CUSTOM BUILD it for me (fiveerr, etc.).
The only thing that is blocking my is my absolutely limited amount of time. Although I already put a lot of effort in this topic, I'd bet developing my own device would take all my free time and more - and also huge amounts of money. That is a risk I can't take, even if people would be willing to pay for such a device. Furthermore I'm an open source enthusiast. It's not my style to develop something and try to earn money with it :-)
I understand that a portable audio player is a niche product and everyone I talk to has a bit different requirements and wishes for it. I think the combination of the niche aspect together with the "there is no general purpose product for everyone" aspect will make it impossible. I think I'll stick with my iPod as long as possible and hope for the best, that in a few years Lilygo, raspberry and friends are far enough to put my effort into the software, not the hardware :-)
I think open source and modular hardware could be a way to make electronics repairable and user-upgradeable, and also prevent future e-waste. Modularity = repair & reuse. [1] And this means you don’t have to be good at PCB design to get started.
For example I think you can make an MVP Ipod entirely out of existing adafruit modules. And sell the MVP for 2-3x BOM / distribute the design as a production model, not just a prototype.
If you get any traction, you can make a better product by designing better modules, and make them high quality, open source, and documented, so that manufacturers will pick them up and start supplying them to the community. If the modules aren't picked up by a manufacturer (with no money exchanging hands) that means the module isn't general purpose enough and would lead to future e-waste.
1. https://www.hackster.io/buildingpulse/modular-lorawan-end-no...
[0]: https://www.wired.com/story/ipod-modders/
[1]: https://player-mods.com/products/bluetooth-modded-ipod-class...