I want to get less reliant on my phone and go out more without it. One of the big use cases for my phone is music.
I have a lot of local music files and I would like to transfer them to a mp3 player. I would prefer something offline that I can drag files too. Also Bluetooth would be a plus so I can continue to use my earbuds.
Something easy to navigate would be ideal too. Basically like what iPods were like with a small screen where you can navigate easily and see album artwork.
They’ve always been called DAPs by technical people and audiophiles. PMPs have gone the way of the dodo too thanks to the modern smartphone. They were basically DAPs with a larger screen for consuming video content.
I think the full circle comeback to these dedicated devices has to do with the removal of the headphone jack, and the poor DACs in the USB-C dongles. That and slow pushback against the subscription model and a return to simpler times where you controlled your media. I for one have very fond memories of my PMP.
Personal music player?
Personal Media Player
I’ve given up on dedicated daps. They may have superior audio components but you won’t ever appreciate them when you’re on the go. I just use my phone. I make sure they have an sd card slot and a headphone jack. For OP, they can use an old phone that doesn’t have a sim card.