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iPod Bench

iPod video (5.5 generation)

The 5th generation again, with a brighter screen and a search function. Opening and parts are the same.

Open the interactive page All iPods

What is inside

1Curved metal backwith battery2Headphone jack andhold switchHard driveInner frameworkLogic boardDisplayPlastic front withclick wheel
  1. Curved metal back with battery. Same as the 5th generation.
  2. Headphone jack and hold switch. Same as the 5th generation.
  3. Hard drive. 1.8 inch, ZIF.
  4. Inner framework. Separate iFixit guide.
  5. Logic board. Separate iFixit guide.
  6. Display. Brighter than the 5th generation.
  7. Plastic front with click wheel. Same as the 5th generation.

Numbers follow the order a repairer meets the parts in a published teardown. A square means we have not confirmed the order. Drawn by us, not to scale.

Quick facts

  • Model: A1136, EMC 2065. Introduced September 2006, 30GB and 80GB
  • Storage: Same 1.8 inch ZIF drive family as the 5th generation
  • Battery: 30GB: the same disputed 580 to 650 mAh class as the 5th generation. 80GB: 850 mAh, iFixit part 616-0232.
  • Differences: Brighter display, longer video playback, search

How it opens

  1. Same as the 5th generation: lock the hold switch, free the clips, unplug the battery and headphone-jack ribbons.

Tools named in the guides: iPod opening tool, angled tweezers.

Change the storage

  • iFlash Solo and Quad list the 5.5 generation 30GB and 80GB as a native fit. The 5th generation notes apply: prepare the card, restore in iTunes.

Rockbox

Stable. Rockbox's iPod video config is shared by the 5th and 5.5 generations.

What goes wrong

  • Sad iPod icon, or a folder with an exclamation mark: Same as the 5th generation.

Mods that are documented for it

  • Flash storage swap. Replace the spinning drive with a memory card or an SSD. It is silent, runs cooler and wakes faster. Which board you need depends on the model, so check the model page. (iFlash)
  • New battery. The cheapest fix for a short day. Match the capacity to your exact model and size, because the 60GB and 80GB video and the thick classic take a thicker battery. (iFixit parts: iPod batteries)
  • Extended battery and thick back. Third-party cells of 1,800 to 3,000 mAh are sold for the video and classic. iFlash notes the real capacity is often 10 to 20 percent below the claim, and the bigger cells need a thick back. A 3,000 mAh cell can foul the headphone-jack assembly. (iFlash: extended battery guide)
  • USB-C, Bluetooth and wireless charging. Kits from Moonlit Market and Boxy Pixel add Bluetooth audio and USB-C. Press reports disagree on which iPods the Moonlit Market kit fits (5th generation only, 5th and 5.5, or 5th to 7th). The Boxy Pixel board fits 5th to 7th generation, but only inside Boxy Pixel's own housings, charges only, and spoils the battery indicator. (Boxy Pixel MKII electronics PCB, ifun.de: Classic Connect 2, TechEBlog: iPod classic mod kit)
  • Audio capacitor upgrade. iFlash sells a kit that swaps the output coupling capacitors for two ELNA Silmic II parts, documented for the Wolfson-codec 5th and 5.5 generation. It needs fine soldering and the vendor takes no returns. We found no documented equivalent for the classic. (iFlash audio capacitor kit, iFlash diyMod write-up)
  • New headphone jack and hold switch. For a crackly jack or a stuck hold slider. On the video the hold switch's plastic part may need moving to the new jack. (iFixit guides)
  • Click wheel replacement. For a wheel that skips or goes dead. On the classic it is the last layer of the stack and a long job. (iFixit: iPod Classic Click Wheel Replacement)
  • Rockbox firmware, dual boot. Open-source firmware that plays FLAC, Opus and more. The original software stays one boot away. Non-classic models need the iPod formatted as FAT32. (Rockbox, Rockbox install manual (mirror))

Parts to search for

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Match your exact model before you buy. Disclosure

What we have not confirmed

  • Anything that differs from the 5th generation inside the case. iFixit's guides treat them alike, but we have not seen a side-by-side.

Where this came from

Written in our own words from the pages above. Opening an iPod can break it, and a lithium battery that is bent, punctured or shorted can burn, so wear eye protection and stop if one is swollen. Boards and batteries vary, so check your own. Not affiliated with Apple.