I currently use an Apple Watch Series 4 and I’m probably going to upgrade to whatever new watch Apple releases this fall. But rather than sell it for pennies on the dollar, I’ve been looking for something to do with the Series 4 besides stashing it in my drawer next to my original Apple Watch–after all, it works fine, it’s just missing some newer sensors and features. And I think I found a way to put it to good use.
The tinyPod is a case that essentially turns the Apple Watch into a standalone gadget that looks like, well, a tiny iPod. Pop an Apple Watch body into the silicone sleeve and your watch’s Digital Crown is transformed into a scroll wheel to navigate menus and messages. You still need to tap the Apple Watch screen to select something, but inside the tinyPod, a mechanism is designed to turn the Apple Watch Digital Crown as you use the scroll wheel. The case also has an opening on the back so the chargers can connect to the watch without removing it from the tinyPod case.
The tinyPod website suggests that this device can be used instead of your iPhone for those times when you don’t need to carry the larger device. That’s entirely possible if you have a cellular-equipped Apple Watch, and you’re fine with using the watchOS’s methods for text input or its pre-programmed responses in apps like Messages. We assume you’ll need to turn off the Apple Watch passcode lest it locks every few minutes.
The tinyPod is compatible with 40/41 mm and 44/45 mm Series 4 or later Apple Watches, including the SE, and it is priced at $80. A version for the Apple Watch Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 is available for $90. The larger model will begin shipping this summer, while the smaller model won’t ship until fall. A tinyPod lite is also available that does not include a scroll wheel, for anyone who yearns for the iPod nano for $30 or $40 (Apple Watch Ultra).
When I filled out an order form, the tinyPod website indicated a “September-October” shipping timeline. That works for me because the next Apple Watch will ship around that time, but if you’re hoping to get a tinyPod as soon as possible, you might be disappointed. Speaking of shipping, it’s not included in the price of the tinyPod, and people have pointed out on X that the shipping can be expensive. For me, it was $9.90 to ship it to San Francisco.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.