The retro iPod that never was

Apple is known for keeping secret what goes on inside its offices, whether it’s upcoming products or things from the past. Nevertheless, from time to time we get a glimpse into internal projects that should never have seen the light of day. What if we told you that Apple once considered launching a “retro iPod”?

Thanks to newly released materials from former Apple designer Jon Sto, we now have a fascinating look at never-before-seen marketing concepts. They show not only the scrapped plans for the 2007 iPhone launch, but also concepts of what would be a special edition iPod classic.

An iPod inspired by the 1984 Macintosh

On his website bio, which includes several images for ads, packaging and marketing images created during his time at Apple, Stoa shares some unreleased projects he worked on at Apple between 2006 and 2008. The most interesting is a limited-edition “retro iPod” concept that would be designed to look straight out of 1984.

This idea was heavily based on the growing trend of nostalgia, even 20 years ago. The material imagines the iPod after the design of the original Macintosh with a beige finish, classic typography and the rainbow Apple logo on the back. He writes that the device “will draw on both the present and the past to make a statement about Apple and the iPod’s role in culture, both today and then.”

Suggested names included iPod retro, iPod rewind, iPod beta, and iPod backspace, all rendered in Apple Garamond, a typeface used in Apple’s marketing materials at the time.

The concept went far beyond vintage design. Marketing material suggested pre-loading the iPod with some 80s music videos and even classic arcade games like Pac-Man. Distribution would be limited, the retro iPod would only be available at Apple Stores and select boutique partners.

There is no evidence that Apple ever developed prototypes for the retro iPod. The materials appear to be unused design and marketing research rather than a discontinued product.

The fact that someone inside Apple considered making a vintage edition of the iPod (which was at its peak in 2006) is still fascinating.

Jon Stoa

Could there be a retro iPod in 2026?

Apple officially killed the iPod brand in 2022 when it discontinued the iPod touch, but the more classic iPod nano and iPod shuffle disappeared years ago. Still, some people are still calling for the return of the iPod in some form.

Some fans would immediately buy an iPod classic, while others would want a redesigned version of the iPod that combines today’s technology with the essence of the original iPod.

If Apple revisited the idea today, it probably wouldn’t be a straight reissue. Instead, we could imagine a compact device the size of an iPod classic, but built with today’s materials and components. Modern OLED or mini-LED display, tactile response to simulate Click Wheel touch controls, expanded storage options, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, and deep integration with Apple Music.

Whether Apple would embrace this idea of ​​looking back on its hardware is another question. The company usually prefers to move forward and rarely celebrates milestones such as product anniversaries. But it’s hard to imagine a limited-edition device like this not selling out instantly.

Jon Stoa

Canceled event for iPhone

The Stoa material also sheds light on Apple’s pre-launch strategy for the original iPhone.

According to the documents, Apple considered holding another press event on June 26, 2007, just three days before the iPhone officially went on sale. The event was to be held at The California Theater in San Jose. Participants would receive an iPhone-shaped gift card to spend at the iTunes Store.

However, the event never happened.

At the time, Apple had already unveiled the iPhone in January and provided significant updates during WWDC 2007 in June. A third event may have seemed redundant or strategically unnecessary. The Stoa site also shows a unique light projection on the Apple 5th Avenue cube

Jon Stoa

Still, thanks to Stoa, we can now take a look at all the banners, emails, and other marketing materials created for this iPhone before launch.

In the lobby of the theater, there would be several posters highlighting key iPhone technologies such as the multi-touch display, accelerometer, wireless connectivity, visual voicemail, proximity sensor and OS X. (Yes, Apple used to call the iPhone OS X before naming it iPhone OS and then iOS.)

Together, these materials offer a rare glimpse into Apple’s parallel universe of products and events that almost happened. It also serves as a reminder that even a company as large and successful as Apple explores many ideas that may never reach the public.

And sometimes these unseen ideas are just as fascinating as the products that hit store shelves.