One of my oldest Apple products is the 2009 iPod touch 3. It’s already 15 years old, and for the past decade, it has been collecting dust in my home. Every now and then, I try to find a 30-pin connector and a USB-A power brick to charge it and see what’s inside.
Unfortunately, a few years ago, I saw all my old photos and notes disappear due to issues with iCloud sync. Besides that, iMessage stopped working because it didn’t let me log into my account without 2FA support. Still, every time I turn on my old iPod touch, I feel like taking a trip down memory lane. All the little sounds and perfect UI are things I definitely miss.
My iPod still runs iOS 5.1.1, which was released back in May of 2012. With iOS 5 (!!!), Apple added the Notification Center and the ability to see notifications from the lock screen, iMessage, Newsstand (eventually, Apple Books), built-in support for Twitter, and iCloud support—crazy times.
Still, there are a few things I can take advantage of with my iPod touch if I’m patient enough. These are five features that are still available:
- Write Notes: Even though Apple erased my old notes, I can still create new ones. All I need is a 3.5-inch display to write my deepest thoughts;
- Use Safari*: As long as I’m visiting Google or websites that are still compatible with a ten-year-old protocol (there aren’t that many left);
- Listen to my favorite songs: If you used to buy songs with iTunes, there’s a good chance you’ll still find them there. Also, you’ll be able to use the Cover Flow, which is long gone;
- Watch Moana: Even though I have bought a few movies over the years, the Videos app only has two options: The first Moana movie and Paul McCartney’s Appreciate music clip. I love it;
- Use Google Maps: While most stock Apple apps, like Weather, Stock, and YouTube, stopped working, you can still add routes to Apple’s built-in Google Maps experience. It looks vintage;
With an old iPod touch, like mine, you can take advantage of other little features. You can create reminders, see the calendar, enjoy the old multitasking, try to open apps that no longer work with that device, and so on.
Wrap up
Turning my old iPod touch on is always great, as it makes me look back at how much technology evolved over the past decade. I remember the excitement of trying the iPod touch 3 for the first time, and today, it feels like every iPhone release is always kind of the same experience.
Looking back, it isn’t an Apple device that old, but it reminds me of my teenage years when I used EarPods in school and felt like I was carrying the most technological and cool gadget available at the time.
What’s your oldest Apple device that you like to turn on occasionally? Let me know at jose@bgr.com.
