Why you need to buy an iPod Classic now

The iPod Classic may be getting on in years, but there are some very good reasons to buy one right now – whether you need one or not.

First of all, we know what you’re thinking – streaming high quality music is the future and a bulky old-school iPod isn’t the tool for the job. Sadly, however, that future is further away than any of us would like. For one thing, mobile data speeds are still bumpy (or non-existent) away from major conurbantions. And for another, high-def streaming just doesn’t exist, at least not in the mainstream. Spotify, for example, tops out at 320kbps, with 160kbps as the norm.

Going on holiday? Prepare to pay up. European data roaming packages are improving, but they’re still a rip-off. Even the best daily deals make the days of overpriced CDs look tame – and Europe has the most competitive data roaming market in the world. Sure you can buy a local SIM when you travel – but take a sharp knife if you’ve got a Micro-SIM smartphone. Or a Nano-SIM equipped iPhone 5.

The bottom line is that – for the time being – if you want to listen to high-quality music wherever you are, continuously and without paying through the nose, you should have it stored locally. And if you’ve got a large music catalogue, ripped at lossless quality, that probably means your phone or tablet isn’t up to the job. The iPod Classic is.

2013 is – we believe – the year Apple will pull the plug on its veteran (but world-changing) music player. And we mean that quite literally – because it’s all about the plug. Let us explain.

In September, Apple unexpectedly announced a fourth version of the iPad, just six months after it unveiled the iPad 3. Why? Because it wants all its mobile products to adopt the Lightning connector it introduced with the iPhone 5. The iPad, iPod Touch and iPod Nano all now carry the new proprietary plug. The Shuffle never had the 30-pin connector. And that leaves – you guessed it – the iPod Classic.

Digital futurists – or whatever they’re calling themselves this week – have been forecasting the death of Apple’s longest-standing design for at least two years. Even we speculated its demise in 2011. But we were all wrong – because Apple had no reason to discontinue a product that had a small, yet useful, market.

The Classic hasn’t had an update since 2009. It is now only available with a 160GB drive. And Apple now has a reason to ditch it: the plug it wants to pull is that relegated 30-pin connector. Will Apple issue a new iPod Classic in 2013 with a Lightning connector? Unimaginable.

So 2013 is your last chance to buy an iPod Classic if you’re a music hoarder. But even if you’re not, buy one and leave it in the box. When Apple discontinues it this year, its value will rocket in the second-hand market – and BNIB (brand new, in box) items will fetch top dollar in the auction houses of the internet.

Apple’s second-gen Apple TV now sells for up to 70 per cent more second-hand than a new boxed third-gen Apple TV bought direct from Apple. The reason? The new one hasn’t been hacked. Imagine how much a new, boxed, and discontinued iPod Classic will be worth this time next year. Based on a 70 per cent hike, you’ll make £140 per iPod. And that’s a conservative estimate (though by no means a guarantee).

2013 is the year we should all buy an iPod Classic. Mark our words.

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