TBH, it looks more like a SanDisk Clip than an iPod. iPods had click wheel controllers, not buttons.
There were lots of cheap, tiny MP3 players out there long before and long after the iPod - the world does not revolve around Apple, even if yours does.
The ePiPod is a new DIY project that aimed at creating an MP3 player using a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. A reworking of the older PiPod project, the ePiPod recreated an Apple iPod-like experience using an E Ink display, a 24-bit DAC and a 1,200 mAh battery that should deliver up to 5-hour runtimes.