Should You Buy An iPod If You Already Have an iPhone?

Chris Page July 25, 2013 in iPod - 2 Minutes

The iPod was once Apple’s trademark product, the one that killed portable CD players and changed how people buy and listen to music. But starting with 2011, the iPhone and iPad began to overshadow the iPod, whose sales substantially decreased. So, considering that the iPhone itself can function as an iPod, a portable music player, and that it has countless other features besides, can you replace iPod with iPhone?

The iPhone is indeed an iPod, but it’s also more distracting. It’s not just that you can receive calls and messages while listening to music, but then there’s also the tentation to use apps that you must keep under control. It’s hard not to use all those many great apps all the time. iPod Shuffle’s and iPod Nano’s simplicity can make them more convenient devices for the big lover of music. Fewer distractions means more music.

But then of course, if you decide not to replace iPod with iPhone you might have to carry two devices with you everywhere. That’s an inconvenience, especially if you’re always on the go. But then if you’re jogging or exercising, the iPod Nano, with its reduced dimensions (and armband accessories) can be a better choice. And although the iPhone is quite shock resistant, you can say that the iPod Nano is a bit sturdier too – it’s a bit harder to crack the latter’s screen than it is to crack the iPhone screen.

The iPod Touch is more than a Nano but less than an iPhone. It’s probably the best choice for those who want the essential functionality of the iPhone but without the ability to give and receive calls and send and receive messages. It has WiFi and web browsing and supports apps. As the little brother of the iPhone, the iPod Touch is just perfect if you don’t want or don’t need an iPhone but would like to have under your thumb and forefinger the essential features that the latter has. But if you already have an iPhone, buying an iPod Touch is usually a bad investment. The two devices are just too similar. You’d be better off with an iPod Nano.

In the end, whether or not you choose to replace iPod with iPhone depends on how much the ‘distractions’ of the latter bother you while listening to music. If you already have an iPhone and enjoy all its features, and never turn it off, you probably don’t need an iPod. But if there are moments when you want just to listen to music and keep the world outside, the iPod is still the best music player around.