We answer your questions about an iPod comeback, an E Ink iPhone Duo, and more

October 1, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

“I would buy that exact form factor for $500,” one caller told The Vergecast, describing the iPod he’d just bought for his girlfriend. He wanted Apple to bring it back—with a camera, maybe, and the old click wheel. The hosts, David Mel and Travis Larchuk, didn’t dismiss the idea outright. But they saw something else in it: a pattern that keeps repeating in tech, where nostalgia bumps up against the cold math of manufacturing, market size, and the fact that most people, eventually, just want one device that does everything.

The episode, a listener Q&A edition of The Vergecast, wove together several seemingly unrelated questions—about a hypothetical digicam made from smartphone parts, a revived iPod, an E Ink iPhone Duo, and the crumbling trustworthiness of the internet itself. The throughline was the tension between what people say they want (dedicated, tactile, single-purpose gadgets) and what companies can actually justify building. Each question forced the hosts to weigh romantic ideas against practical realities: supply chains, production lines, profit margins, and the stubborn fact that most fads fade.

Why a smartphone company won’t just make a digicam

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What you'll learn

1 (03:41) **Welcome & Listener Mailbag Setup** - David and Mel take over the show to answer listener questions submitted to the hotline.
2 (04:15) **Why Isn't There a Cheap Smartphone-Powered Digicam?** - A caller asks why Motorola or others don't just slap a nice lens on a mid-range phone and sell it as a $400 dedicated camera.
3 (08:02) **The Case for an iPod Comeback** - A caller describes buying an iPod for his girlfriend and argues Apple should sell a modern $500 iPod with a click wheel and a curated music library.
4 (17:50) **Would an E Ink Inner Screen on the iPhone Duo Work?** - A caller proposes Apple's foldable iPhone Duo should use an E Ink screen on the inside for reading and note-taking.
5 (21:35) **Will AI Hacking Destroy Trust in the Cloud?** - A caller argues that a 10-15% increase in AI-powered hacking could tip the risk/reward balance, making the internet feel unreliable for storing photos, streaming music, or running a business.
6 (27:19) **Relitigating the TI-84 Calculator Hall of Fame Snub** - A caller argues the TI-84 graphing calculator deserves a spot in the Verge's "Hall of Fame" from the *Version History* podcast.
7 Standout Quotes

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

David Mel Travis Larchuk

Show Notes

In this hotline episode, guest host David Imel answers your questions about digital cameras, iPods, E Ink phones, and the TI-84 graphing calculator being iced out of the Version History Hall of Fame.