The Rise, Fall and Rise of the Portable MP3 Player

The Verge's weekly newsletter The Stepback has turned its attention to the history of the portable MP3 player, tracing its rise, its collapse, and its more recent resurgence.

The feature is written by Terrence O'Brien, who regularly contributes deep dives on single stories from the technology world for the newsletter, which is sent to subscribers' inboxes on Sunday mornings.

A device's full arc

The piece frames the portable MP3 player's history as a complete arc: an initial boom that reshaped how people listened to music, followed by a steep decline as smartphones absorbed the function of standalone music players, and then a more recent revival of interest in dedicated devices among some enthusiasts.

The Verge did not detail every specific product or company covered in the piece beyond framing it as a broader look at the category's trajectory.

Part of a recurring format

The Stepback is a recurring feature at The Verge dedicated to breaking down one essential story from the tech industry each week, with past and current editions available through the newsletter's dedicated homepage for readers who want to catch up.