The original iPod (even the iPhone) was designed to scratch. Contrary to the idea of Steve Jobs and Jony Ive chasing perfection, the idea behind having an iPod that wears and tears with use was that A. it would be less of a hurdle to get you to upgrade, but also B. it would make each iPod uniquely different.
The term designers and craftspeople use to describe this phenomenon is ‘Patina’, it’s when iron rusts a certain way, when bronze oxidizes in a unique style, or when leather wears down in a distinct manner that’s unique to each individual product and how it’s used. The back of the iPod would scratch based on whether you’d keep it on tables or in pockets, whether your pocket had keys, whether you accidentally scuffed it against your belt buckle or the railing of a flight of stairs. That patina was ‘by design’, and even though the new iPhones don’t have that feature, David Delahunty designed a case that lets you relive exactly that.
Designer: David Delahunty
Rather simply put the iPod Classic iPhone 17 Case, this distressed metal case was designed to fit around any iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max, giving your phone the same grunge-ish vibe. It has the exact same curved body that the iPod Classic had, making the product feel almost identical to the original when held in your hand (bye bye sharp edges on the iPhone, you won’t be missed). The case sports the same artwork on the back too, with an iPod symbol and the Apple logo, along with even the certification text at the bottom… but what steals the show are the scratches.
Now it’s difficult to say if Delahunty designed each case to be unique, but that’s because these are just conceptual… for now. The designer, who goes by ‘delahuntagram’ on social media, churns out unique ideas of quirky products (like this MS paint makeup kit or this Apple Spinning Wheel Tennis Ball). Some products end up making it to reality, like the MacOS Folder SSD that is now available for sale. With enough interest, I don’t see how such a product couldn’t hit the mainstream. Delahunty even rendered an image of Drake (although I choose to see MJ) holding the phone in his hand while wearing those bejewelled gloves.
It isn’t the first time the iPhone’s been used as a canvas for Apple-of-the-past. Spigen routinely releases cases that transform the iPhone into Apple icons like the Lisa/Macintosh, or the iMac G3, or even the original iPhone 3G. The ‘scratched’ iPod is a fairly new design take, and something you could totally expect from the mind of Delahunty. I wonder if the case has a faux 3.5mm jack just for kicks…
