The iPhone has way more music features, but the Music app is bloated and confusing.
Youd better get used to untangling headphone cables again.
The iPod changed how we listened to music.
Lifewire / Charlie Sorrel
1,000 songs in your pocket,went the tagline.
But what about using the iPod today?
Is it a curiosity best left in a display cabinet?
Lifewire / Charlie Sorrel
Or can it more than hold its own against todays bloated, confusing music apps?
The clue, as they say, is in the question.
The first drawback was that all my music was years out of date.
Lifewire / Charlie Sorrel
I use Apple Music, and have since itlaunched in 2015.
To catch my collection up to my current Apple Music library would be quite expensive.
But thats a short-term issue.
Lets get to the important part.
How does using the iPod compare with using the iPhones Music app?
Classic Music
You navigate the iPods menus using the click wheel.
Spin the wheel to scroll, and press the center button to select.
The menu button goes up, or back, and the play/pause and skip buttons do what youd expect.
Find an artist, then an album, then a song.
The Music app is a convoluted mess by comparison.
kick off the app, find the Library tab.
Tap it again, then maybe yet again, to actually return to the main library screen.
Then it’s possible for you to navigate in much the same way as the iPod.
This basic operation highlights the main weakness of the app.
Theres just so much packed in it takes a little while to get to the part you want.
The iPhone does win out in one regard.
Its physical volume buttons make changing volume easy when its in a pocket.
The iPods volume is controlled by the click wheel whenever music is playing.
Sound wise, its a tie.
Through wired headphones (I usedmy Koss Porta Prosfor this test), both devices sound great.
Theres nothing different, to my ear.
The simplicity of the iPod, then, wins.
But thats what youd expect.
Its a unit with one purpose, and both hardware and software support that.
Modern Conveniences
Lets look now at the iPhones advantages, which are many.
It can sync to iTunes wirelessly (not via an old USB 30-pin dock connector).
you might use wireless headphones, and control playback from an Apple Watch.
And it’s possible for you to tell Siri to play any song for you.
It comes down to purpose.
The iPhone is amazing because its touch screen can become anything.
But that means you always have to look before you tap.
People prefer physical controls for their predictability.
Writers use keyboards with their iPads.
Photographers prefer cameras with knobs and dials.
Musicians debate endlessly about hardware drum machines vs drum apps.
The iPod is, on paper, far inferior to the iPhone and its Music app.
But in use, the mental overhead is way less.
The iPod does one thing only.
If you pause it and come back tomorrow, its right where you left it.
It doesnt reset to the home page, distract you with notifications, or delete downloads automatically.
It also sounds just as good as the iPhone, and it has a headphone jack.
For many, the extra hassle of maintaining a music library isnt worth it.
But for some, it will feel like freedom.
