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The Sprout replacement iPod motherboard brings a range of updates to Apple's beloved music player.
Photo: Sprout

A new replacement iPod motherboard is promising to bring your old click-wheel player into the modern era. It adds Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB-C, all while keeping the classic look.

Called Sprout, the open-source board is designed so that it drops into select iPods with no soldering required. It is still in development, but if it works as promised, it could be a dream upgrade for retro fans.

This iPod motherboard keeps your original parts

The iPod is enjoying a surprising resurgence as people look for alternatives to smartphones and their endless stream of notifications, social media and other distractions. A dedicated music player offers a simpler experience, letting listeners focus on their favorite songs without the temptation to check messages or scroll through feeds.

Which makes now the perfect time for Sprout. 

The new product only replaces the original iPod logic board, which means the case, screen, and click-wheel all stay in place. That means your iPod will look and feel the same way it always did.

Inside, the listing says you get Bluetooth for AirPods, Wi-Fi and a hi-fi DAC. A USB-C port handles all the charging and drag-and-drop music transfers, and there’s also an option to add a microSD card up to 2TB.

This is what the internals of the iPod mod look like.
Photo: Sprout

Most iPod mods swap out the hard drive for flash storage and a bigger battery, but Sprout goes further. It replaces the whole logic board and runs on new firmware.

The studio says the software was written from scratch to mimic the original interface, including things like Cover Flow, Podcasts and Search.

Two versions for different needs

Sprout comes in two flavors — Pico and Pi, both built around the Raspberry Pi RP2350 chip.

Pico turns on instantly and can play your own music and podcasts. Pi, on the other hand, adds a Raspberry Pi Compute Module Zero. While Pico works with third- and fourth-generation iPods (now known as iPod Classic) and the first- and second-generation iPod mini, Pi only supports the two iPod Classic models.

Battery life is a target for now. The studio says it’s aiming for 40 hours of Bluetooth playback on the 3rd and 4th generation with a 2,500mAh cell. On the iPod mini, it’s targeting 20 hours. But those figures are based on prototype testing.

Streaming features are still unfinished

Don’t expect every feature to work right out of the box. The listing says Spotify, Apple Music and AirPlay streaming are working proofs of concept as of September. Google Cast support is still under development.

Streaming services often change their APIs, so what ships at launch may differ from what the studio shows today.

Price and release date are still not known

The Crowd Supply page says the project is launching soon. It currently doesn’t show a price or a release date. Users can sign up there for launch updates.

Sprout is open-source hardware and software. The studio plans to publish schematics, board layouts, and firmware on GitHub before its campaign ends.

The listing also adds that the 3rd-generation, 4th-generation, and mini, get less attention from modders. That makes them cheaper to buy, so Sprout could emerge as an affordable option to own a daily-use iPod.

Parker Ortolani, a developer and X user, wrote that Sprout could be a no-brainer for the retro crowd if it just works. That “if” is doing a lot of work, at least for now.