But it's the most capable and flexible option here, especially for those who are already in the Apple services universe - or refuse to leave their iTunes-based MP3 library. Yes, this is way too much to pay for a 'music player,' in my book. And, because it's got the App Store, you can also opt for alternate services like Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube and the like (so long as you can access a Wi-Fi hotspot), in addition to or instead of the Apple Music app. It works seamlessly with Bluetooth headphones and speakers, but you'll need a pesky Lightning adapter to use old-school headphones. The latter will cost you about $429 all-in (for 64GB of storage), but you'll get a device that can run the latest version of iOS, and it can pull music from iTunes (on Windows) or Apple Music (on the Mac).

What to do instead? Get a used iPhone, or a new iPhone SE - and just use it on Wi-Fi. You can still find used models out there, but don't expect them to be supported for much longer. The iPod Touch was the last dedicated music player in Apple's lineup, but it was officially discontinued in May 2022.

Waterproof mighty vibe