Bluetooth inside

iPod classic is a brilliant device, and seems to be on track to be a timeless MP3 player. The rise of streaming services in film, TV and music pushed out many heavy-hitters in the media industry. However, there's been a resurgence in the old ways: having your music owned by you, and not rented from a service provider. The old iPod classic's hard-drive based storage enticed people back to it, allowing for listeners to enjoy tens of thousands of tracks forever, whenever, without having to keep paying their dues to a cloud-based service-provider.

But, one modern feature still remains to be added. Bluetooth. The first iPod to include wireless listening connectivity was the iPod touch. iPod nano only got the Bluetooth treatment in its last generation (with the watch-esque 6th gen missing out by a hair). iPod classic had to make do with plug-in adapters to allow listeners to enjoy their music free from cables.

Until now. Many hobbyists and modders have worked over the last few years to find ways of adding bluetooth transmitters to the inside of the iPod classic, allowing for an almost seamless and professional experience. The biggest hurdle is controlling the bluetooth transmitter - unless the iPod's own motherboard was rewired entirely and the firmware of the iPod reverse-engineered and rewritten, then the only solution would be find a way to access the bluetooth transmitter's own physical controls. Which of course, are hidden inside the casing.

/u/classicsarerelevant on reddit is one of the modders who found a solution - using the existing hold switch as a new button. 3D printing a new mount and soldering in a new switch allows for the Bluetooth module to be controlled from the outside. A custom-CNC-milled rear metal housing with a new plastic antenna cut-out (akin to the early iPod touch models) allows the Bluetooth signal to penetrate the all-metal exterior of the 7th gen classic.

iPod classic is one step closer to an all-wireless future