In 2026 everyone is obsessing over the iPod, Apple's long lost digital music player. From this leaked retro concept to calls for the re-release of the '00s essential, it's clear that people want to listen to music in a Y2K way.
Unfortunately, Apple seems to not care less about any of this, and is currently silent on the craze, so you'll have to look elsewhere to get your fix. Thankfully, there's a few really good iPod alternatives to choose from, and to help you out I've put together this collection of modern iPod alternatives (for both if you're located in the UK and the USA).
If you want to avoid using your phone for everything, or want to own music again then an iPod alternative might be a good option for you. Though some of these digital audio players also work with apps like Spotify, so you can get the best of both worlds if that's what you want. What you will need is a transducer to actually hear that music – so check out our list of the 8 best affordable earphones, or our list of the best wired headphones, if you can spend a little bit more.
I've chosen eight models below, all of which are recommended first-hand by users and highly reviewed. There are budget models as well as a couple of more high-end, plus a mix of designs and functionality. Click through on each product to find out more about them and whether they fit your needs.
UK MP3 players
US MP3 players
If none of these are quite right you could always buy a refurbished iPod from BackMarket, eBay or similar, and even mod it to increase storage and battery length. See our article on how to mod an iPod.
