You can count me as one of the people who misses their iPods and considers the defunct device one of the best products Apple ever made; how I miss that click wheel.
A new third-party Apple Watch accessory called tinyPod seems purpose-designed to tap that iPod nostalgia button, including a functioning click wheel (h/t Android Authority).
The tinyPod is a case that you can use to make the Apple Watch a wrist-free device. Putting the Watch into the tinyPod makes the digital crown unusable, but that's where the click wheel comes in.
While fun, the case is spendy at $80. I'm unsure if that's too high since the case is mostly nostalgia bait without adding much utility beyond that.
TinyPod is pitching the case as "your phone away from the phone." If you have a cellular Apple Watch, it can capitalize on Apple Watch functions like calls, texts, music playing, and fitness tracking. If you don't have a cellular version, this case might not be worth exploring since those features would disappear once the iPhone is gone.
It fits in with a recent trend of companies trying and failing to create devices that make us spend less time looking at our phones while providing some of the utility of why we use our phones all the time.
I could see the case being an excellent way to bring your watch without wearing it for things like running or going to the gym, especially if you don't like the feel of watches on your arms when working out.
If you like the idea of a wrist-free Apple Watch that lets you leave your phone behind but balk at the $80 cost, there is a TinyPod Lite model for $30; however, that one removes the click wheel, which feels like it misses the whole point of the product.
Currently, the TinyPod and the TinyPod Lite are available for pre-order. The website says that the 45/44mm versions of the device will ship this summer, but it's unclear exactly when. After all, we're already halfway through the season. The 41/40mm and 49mm (Ultra) sizes won't ship until the fall, though.
