To control the Digital Crown on the watch, the casing, which costs eighty dollars, contains “carefully mechanized components inside.”
The tinyPod is a case for your Apple Watch, which, all by itself, probably doesn’t sound like a particularly intriguing product. However, because to its distinctive design, which consists of a click wheel that controls the Digital Crown of the watch, Apple’s wearable device seems and feels (at least in its marketing) like the iPod, which was the company’s first revolutionary product of the 21st century. It is possible to use it as a music player, but it is also compatible with everything else in watchOS. Through this integration, Apple’s smartwatch may be transformed into a “phone” that is uncluttered and devoid of distractions.
In addition to the Apple Watch SE, the tinyPod, which costs $80, is compatible with Apple Watch models ranging from Series 4 to Series 9. (The Apple Watches with 41/40mm and 45/44mm sizes each have their own individual tinyPods.) Meanwhile, another 49mm version of the Apple Watch Ultra is available for $90. This is because who wouldn’t want to transform their wearable device that costs $800 into a phone that is as simple as possible? In addition, there is the tinyPod light, which is a $30 case that does not include a click wheel.
The click wheel is the most important component of this gimmick, and its developer appears to assume that it will be protected from legal action taken by Apple. There is a good chance that the fact that it is dependent on an Apple product does not hurt. The movement of the wheel on the case is synchronized with the movement of the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch by “carefully mechanized components inside” that make “direct rotation contact with your Apple Watch crown on the inside.” That is to say, everywhere on watchOS that allows you to scroll with the crown will also allow you to scroll with the tinyPod click wheel. Well, at least in theory.
By disabling the wrist detection feature of the watch, which is not required for this situation, the tinyPod website claims that it can sustain a battery life that lasts for multiple days. In spite of this, it may be difficult to live up to that expectation, considering the fact that the battery life of cellular Apple Watches is typically quite limited when they are used without a phone that is within Bluetooth range. It is possible to utilize a model that is just capable of GPS (or to disable cellular service) and stick to music that is stored locally; but, doing so would restrict the capabilities of the device.
tinyPod is the creation of Newar, a former Snap designer and a jailbreak guru who was once known as tinyPod. The designer stated in an article that was published in May that it was once a side project that was later changed into “a real, shipping product for one reason: Whenever I left the house with it, I loved how I felt.”
The inventor of the tinyPod appears to have given great care to aesthetics, clarity of purpose, and consistency in marketing, regardless of whether or not the tinyPod lives up to its advertising as a minimalist, distraction-free, and nostalgia-laden “phone.” The website exhibits a keen eye for detail and takes pleasure in its iPod-inspired design, which includes Apple fonts that are appropriate for the era as well as a teaser film that is presented in the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. Watch as silhouettes dance to the music of Gorillaz.
The tinyPod is currently available for pre-order, and shipments are scheduled to begin “this summer.” On the product website, you can make a reservation for one right now.