New Matter has introduced Sudo, a 64-gigabyte dedicated music player featuring a physical touch wheel reminiscent of Apple’s discontinued iPod, applesfera.com reported. The device enters a market where dedicated portable hardware has largely been replaced by smartphone streaming apps.
Hardware Specifications and Streaming Capabilities of Sudo
The Sudo model SP-01 is built around a single task: playing music. It features a 2.73-inch LCD touch screen with a resolution of 320 by 320 pixels, paired with a physical touch wheel for navigation. For audio output, the device retains a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack while adding Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones. Internal storage sits at 64 gigabytes, with expansion support for microSD cards up to one terabyte. The player includes music streaming capabilities, though the manufacturer has not yet detailed which specific applications will be supported. Battery life exceeds 20 hours, and charging is handled via USB-C. applesfera.com noted that the operating system is proprietary, though it is widely assumed to be based on Android despite a lack of official confirmation from the company.
Global Waitlist Availability and Color Options
The device is not yet available for direct purchase. Consumers can currently join a waitlist on the manufacturer’s website, with initial availability restricted to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Buyers in Spain and other regions outside the launch countries cannot currently reserve units. The hardware will be manufactured in China and is offered in four colors: silver, basalt, forest green, and a mandarin orange tone. applesfera.com reported that shipments are scheduled to begin in the final quarter of 2027, with no current timeline provided for international distribution beyond the initial launch markets.
Market Context Following the iPod Discontinuation
Apple discontinued the iPod due to a corporate shift toward mass-market streaming subscriptions. Despite this transition, consumer demand for dedicated physical music players has persisted. New Matter’s hardware project enters this space as a niche alternative to smartphone-dominated listening habits, though applesfera.com noted that the project remains a small-scale initiative with a lengthy timeline before retail distribution begins in late 2027.
