Quick Look: Elago W6, the cute Apple Watch stand that thinks it’s an iPod

If you ever feel nostalgic for the classic iPod, you might enjoy the Elago W6, the Apple Watch stand that thinks it’s an iPod.

It’s not the first time Elago has done something like this. Back in 2017, it created the W3, based on the original Macintosh …

The premise is simple: a freestanding silicone molding with a cutout for an Apple Watch charging puck, and a slot at the top into which you place the watch. The front cutout then mimics the display of the device, while you can still see the time and date on the Watch in nightstand mode.

The company has to carefully skirt the line between fun tribute and trademark infringement, so it doesn’t make any reference to the actual names of the classic products. For the W3, for example, it says:

Vintage design. View your Apple Watch display through a blast from the past. The display lines up perfectly to seem as though it is the display of an old Apple monitor.

And for the W6, Elago takes equal care to avoid any use of the i-word:

Vintage design. View your Apple Watch display through a blast from the past. elago’s fourth series of nostalgic apple watch stands – successor to the W3, W4, and W5 stand. The display lines up perfectly to seem as though it is the display of a classic music player.

The soft silicone means there’s no risk of scratching your watch as you insert or remove it, and the very bendable material makes it easy to insert the charging puck – just feed it in from the top, pull the cable through from the bottom and then secure it in the slot at the rear of the W6 so that it sits flush on your nightstand.

You don’t get the charger with the product, so you’ll need to use your existing one — or there’s no shortage of options on Amazon.

Elago says it’s compatible with all generations and sizes of Apple Watch. With my 44mm Series 4, it was a perfect fit, the display filling the cutout.

To see the time in the night, you can still tap the watch face through the cutout. The only usability issue I found is that my watch has a heavy stainless steel band, so it could fall over backwards when tapping the face. This was easily solved by putting a finger on top of it while tapping with my thumb.

Nobody needs this product: it’s a piece of pure unabashed fun. But if you loved the classic iPod, then for thirteen bucks, why not?

The Elago W6 costs $12.99, and is available from Amazon in a choice of classic white or black and red.