We've long said that the best way to keep an old device running longer is to swap out the slow hard drive for an SSD. But does this advice hold for an old iPod? You may have forgotten that early iPods shipped with special hard drives – 1.8-inch HDDs in the iPod Classic and 1-inch HDDs in the iPod Mini – with the same spinning platters as the drives in old laptops and PCs. But unlike laptops and PCs with hard drives, iPods are anything but stationary devices. They've been kept in bags, dropped, and mistreated. That's why many old iPods have hard drives that no longer work or are on the verge of failing.
Thanks to some tinkerers much smarter than me, there are custom components that can be used to restore an old iPod to its former glory. I love using an iPod Classic in 2024, but hate all the hassles that come with using a device that's nearly two decades old, so I took a seventh-generation iPod Classic from 2008 and added an SSD, USB-C port, and Bluetooth connectivity for a more modern experience.
Adding an SSD to my iPod
There is absolutely no reason to do this, but I did it anyway
The idea of ​​replacing my iPod Classic's 1.8-inch hard drive with a tiny M.2 SSD was just too cool to pass up. But is there any practical reason to put an SSD in the iPod? The answer is a bit complicated. For any iPod user who still has a spinning hard drive device, switching to flash storage makes sense. It's faster, more reliable, and makes the whole thing seem lighter. The best way to get flash storage on an iPod, however, is to use a daughterboard that converts the HDD ribbon cable into a microSD card slot. It's cheap, lightweight, and effective.
The price of flash storage, especially microSD cards, is continually coming down. Right now, you can get a microSD card with 512GB or 1TB of storage without spending a lot. When iFlash – a company that makes various daughterboards for converting iPods to flash storage – decided to make the iFlash SATA board, it wasn't that cheap. Buying a 512GB or 1TB M.2 SSD was cheaper than buying a microSD card of the same size, so if you wanted to put that amount of storage in an iPod Classic, using the iFlash SATA adapter and an M.2 SSD made financial sense.
The concept behind the iPod Classic mod is simple, and iFlash's circuit board is incredibly user-friendly. The hard part, however, is opening the sixth or seventh generation iPod. It's one of the most difficult opening procedures you'll ever do. iFixit rated the repair procedure to replace the iPod Classic's hard drive as “very difficult,” which is the highest rating possible.
There are warnings at almost every other step and the whole project can take up to two hours. However, once you get past the hard part, using the iFlash SATA card is easy. It has a DDK Zif connector that connects to the iPod's hard drive ribbon cable and an M.2 slot with clips to secure the SSD. There is also a thermal pad to keep the SSD cool.
There are obvious drawbacks to consider when adding an SSD to an iPod Classic. Only certain drives are supported and they can get hot. And not every iPod handles that much storage well. Only certain models of the fifth-generation iPod Video and seventh-generation iPod Classic can even recognize that much storage, and RAM limitations limit the number of songs you can store. It was a fun project, but I would recommend anyone looking to dig out their old iPod to upgrade it with a microSD card rather than an SSD.
Is it better to use an SSD or a microSD card?
I've tried both, so let's examine the pros and cons
It was a fun project, but I would recommend anyone looking to dig out their old iPod to upgrade it with a microSD card instead of an SSD. After months of running iPods with microSD cards and a built-in SSD on a daily basis, I can say that the ones with microSD cards are more reliable. Although SSDs are usually the faster storage solution for PCs, they are significantly slower than microSD cards for iPods. Syncing a few thousand songs could take hours with the iFlash SSD mod, while the same number of songs could download faster on an iPod with a built-in microSD card.
Battery life and compatibility are two other reasons to choose a microSD card adapter for your iPod. SSDs use a lot of power, especially relative to the size of the lithium-ion batteries in MP3 players. If your iPod's original battery has never been replaced, it's nearly twenty years old and is surely suffering from some form of battery wear. Simply put, battery life will be atrocious if you put an SSD in an iPod Classic. You'll get an hour or so of listening time at best, and standby time will be poor too.
Most importantly, there are microSD card mods for more iPods than just the last few Classic models. I got a 256GB microSD card working in an iPod Mini – the smallest iPod ever to have a spinning hard drive. Other eager modders have managed to fit microSD cards into some of the earliest iPods ever made. The possibilities are truly endless.
Now it's time for Bluetooth and USB-C
The more practical iPod upgrades are available with a simple kit
The more practical upgrade comes from Moonlit Market, which sells a modification kit that adds USB-C and Bluetooth to an iPod Classic. Unfortunately, the SSD upgrade and USB-C/Bluetooth modification aren't compatible without creating a special enclosure that accommodates the thicker iFlash SATA board – although this is certainly possible with 3D printing. Rather than design a new enclosure, I opted for the microSD board to use flash storage with my iPod Classic.
People have been modifying iPod Classic devices for ages, and this is far from the first iPod Classic with Bluetooth and USB-C. However, there are a few things about the Moonlit Market kit that make it unique. First and foremost, the whole thing is solderless. The custom daughterboard that comes with the Moonlit Market kit plugs into the iPod's stock audio and battery connectors, so anyone can install it (as long as they can get through the tricky opening process).
The other interesting thing about this kit is that you don't lose anything from your iPod Classic when you install it. Many previous implementations of Bluetooth or USB-C on iPods have either removed the headphone jack or the 30-pin connector in the process. With this mod, you get USB-C and Bluetooth, but keep the headphone jack and 30-pin connector.
The experience isn't perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. There are no clips on the inside of the Moonlit Market case, so you have to use adhesive to attach the faceplate to the case. This isn't ideal, because with a mod like this, you have to assume you'll end up stuck back in the iPod at some point — say, if a cable accidentally comes loose. I also found that the Bluetooth connection could be choppy at times, even after taking steps to reduce interference, such as removing the electromagnetic shielding behind the display.
Overall, the USB-C upgrade has been the most useful. There are virtually no downsides, as you can use the USB-C port for charging or use the 30-pin connector instead. By optionally soldering three cables, the USB-C port can also be used for data transfer. What I like most about the USB-C standard is that every device uses it, and that now includes my 2008 iPod Classic.
Why I'll be using an iPod in 2024
For the same reason I use records and CDs – they are fun
Even though I subscribe to Apple Music and stream music from my smartphones and other devices, there's something special about listening to music the old-fashioned way. The reason I still use an iPod Classic is exactly the same reason I listen to vinyl and CDs: it's more fun. By removing the distractions that come with streaming music on modern devices, you can immerse yourself more deeply in the music listening experience.
Aside from that Classic, I have a soft spot for fancy iPods like the Nano and Shuffle because I grew up with them. It's more than just nostalgia, though. Phones and streaming services aren't perfect for listening to music, but in 2024, using an iPod isn't perfect either. While I loved my iPod Classic, these upgrades have certainly made it easier to use in this age of technology.