iPod shuffle Sport Case
The iPod shuffle Sport Case was introduced alongside the first generation iPod shuffle in January 2005.
Before there were sweat-resistant AirPods Pro or the water-resistant Apple Watch, the IP68 rated iPhone 11 Pros and IP67-rated iPhone 7 to 2020 iPhone SE, there was the iPod shuffle Sport Case!
The sport case was released as a $29 accessory in 2005 alongside the just-unveiled iPod Shuffle at MacWorld 2005. The iPod shuffle was a 512MB-1GB iPod, which started at $99 and was designed to go after the ‘low-end’ MP3 market.
From Apple.com:
”A clear case attached to a colorful lanyard keeps your iPod shuffle safely protected from the elements, so you can enjoy music at the beach, by the pool or on a rainy-day jog. You can even control your music without opening the case.”
The iPod shuffle Sport Case was constructed from two plastic halves joined by a hinge (through which a non-removable lanyard ran) and surrounded by an orange rubber gasket to provide a water-resistant seal. With the iPod in the case, two slide locks on either side slid up to secure the shuffle inside the case with bright green dots appearing on each side to visually display that the case had been fastened. To control the shuffle, a rubber control pad aligned with the buttons below to help you access player controls when the shuffle was inside the case.
From iLounge:
“Apple touts the sport case as ‘shelter… from the elements,’ and says you can use it ‘at the beach, by the pool, or on a rainy day jog.’ The implication is that the case is water-resistant, not water-tight, the difference being that you can safely splash a water-resistant case with rain or other water, but you can’t ‘dunk it in the pool’ or ‘use it in the ocean.’ It’s a low threshold to meet, but the Sport Case meets it.”
The case was not waterproof, though it did provide some splash resistant at a time when the mere mention of water meant certain destruction of any device (again these were the days before Apple devices could be left at the bottom of a river for over a year and still manage to work). And however fun and sporty this case may be, the added weight of a product meant to dangle from your neck while used “on a rainy day jog” made it slightly impractical - who wants a bulky plastic case thudding against their chest while they run?
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