Why MP3 Players Are Making a Comeback

Old tech is cool again — phones that don't have the internet, cameras, even Game Boys.

And you can add something else to that list: MP3 players.

Sales of MP3 players fell as phones began to be able to play music.

Apple stopped selling its famous iPods in 2022. These were the world's bestselling MP3 players — 450 million of them were sold over 20 years.

But now, just a few years later, iPods and other MP3 players are becoming popular again.

According to tech website Back Market, sales of used iPods increased 48% last year.

Experts say people are buying old iPods for many of the same reasons they're choosing old phones, cameras and Game Boys.

They want to enjoy music without being distracted by other apps on their phones, or lots of ads. People also like the retro look, and enjoy having a greater feeling of control over their music.

If you choose to buy a used iPod, you will get the simple music experience that people got in 2001 when these MP3 players were first released.

And there's another reason why even young people are looking back at tech from the past: the AI-powered tech of the future can sometimes look a little scary!

At a time when tech is moving faster than ever, some people just want things to be a little bit simpler.