Hi. I am the target for this kind of device. I like to have a dedicated music player, and I like the shape of the iPod classic. I don’t want to use a smartphone.

This device has Bluetooth which the old iPod did not have, which is an enhancement. The old iPod also forces you to sync the music using the iTunes library.

Nostalgia? Maybe not even, as you could buy a second hand iPod off eBay. Maybe for people that only use dumbphones and want still the possibility of listening to music?

Curious to see how much they sell, I suspect not much

>A retail price of $250 seems way over the mark for what it is.

There are, in 2026, dozens of models of mp3 players selling from around $120 to even up to $400 or so, from brands from Chinese OEMs to Sony, including a few that mimic the iPod interface. From iPod style to expensive DAC ones with impendance tailored to high end headphones.

>But seriously, who would be the target here?

People interested in mp3 players.

People who want to focus on music listening, and not have a constant distraction device at hand when doing it.

>Phones already do a great job of offline with downloaded music and movies so that doesn't seem like the right crowd.

Seems like you've missed the whole "back to focused use device" trend going on for the last few years and that general niche.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00lLrwHQPns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaTRhWazMPs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFVo1bmUXzw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viU9JhIsbl4

https://www.audiophileon.com/news/hd-music-player-top-10

https://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/portable/best-portable-mu...

https://www.techradar.com/news/best-mp3-players-techradars-g...