TechTECH TALK

Sprout Pi board gives old iPods Bluetooth and USB-C

Sprout Pi and the cheaper Sprout Pico are full motherboard replacements that also add a microSD card slot and FLAC playback; the click wheel stays.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN Newsroom
Published 2:06 PM ET, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

At a glance

First reported by The Verge: “Sprout Pi adds Bluetooth, streaming, and USB-C to your aging iPod”.
Covered on BBN on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 2:06 PM ET on BBN Newsroom, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt's a replacement motherboard called Sprout Pi, and it gives an old iPod Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C charging, a microSD card slot, and FLAC playback, which is high-quality lossless music.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the iPod gets the whole internet, and it still has a click wheel. We're talking a genuine comeback right here.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt's a nineteen-year-old music player being rebuilt into the phone that replaced it, minus the phone. There's also a cheaper version called Sprout Pico, if you want fewer miracles.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentMinus the phone is the selling point. Nobody can call you on it.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFair.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentBut you'd have to crack the case open yourself, and the first time I tried that on a gadget, it cost me a screwdriver and a Tuesday.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIt's finally ready for the future.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt was ready for the future in two thousand five. It just lacked Bluetooth.