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iPod Nano Hands-On Impressions
Posted by Jason Chen at 4:17 AM on September 10, 2008
The new, thinner and smaller iPod nano really is smaller, thinner, and feels much better in your hand. Brian, our hand model, has small hands, so you can see how relatively small the unit is. The aluminium is slick, but the clickwheel might be slightly too slick, and not as grippy as previous models. The UI though, is fast and responsive—maybe even more so than the previous fat nano generation. The scrolling album art on the main menu is at the bottom, and not on the sides like before.
The accelerometer is as good as on the iPhone or iTouch. Landscape pulls up right away. The album art is gorgeous on the curved screen. Genius is good, and is easily pulled up by holding the middle clickwheel button. Scrolling through music is fast, and pretty much retains all the iPod clickwheel functionality you're used to from previous generations. It does have slight improvements as we noted in the liveblog—holding the middle clickwheel button gets you shortcuts to many functions—but all in all, it's what you'd expect from an iPod nano.
Comparisons vs. previous gen:
The screens are almost exactly the same size if you turn the fat nano sideways. The new nano is as thick at the thickest point as the fat nano, but tapers off to either side to give an overall "more thin" feel. The back is aluminium so MUCH less scratchy (think 2nd gen nanos).
An interview with Apple brought up these facts to the table:
-It's the thinnest iPod ever, and the smallest nano by volume
-Black, a new matte colour that is slightly slate-ish, and Silver, get black clickwheels.
-The Pink is BACK and the Red is project RED.
-First iPod nano that uses USB charging only, so older firewire chargers from docks a few years old will not charge the new nano.
-Shake to shuffle will not activate unless screen is active and hold is off.
-Clickwheel orientation does not shift when you use the accelerometer to switch to landscape mode. Joz says that the menu button is always in the same position, and that's not a problem because in landscape, you're usually scrolling.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Bherget3
Posted 5:22 AM 10/9/08
Well. I own a Zune. I have to say, this looks AWFULLY familiar.
Bherget3
Enrique
Posted 5:15 AM 10/9/08
how about a Classic Hands On???
Enrique
Jagged Toaster
Posted 5:13 AM 10/9/08
Alright, never mind. I just bought an 8GB black nano through the online store. Ship ship ship!
Jagged Toaster
OMG! Ponies!
Posted 5:12 AM 10/9/08
@daftrok: And the iPod is still has better advertising. Your point is?...
OMG! Ponies!
daftrok
Posted 5:05 AM 10/9/08
The Creative ZEN is still better.
daftrok
Eruanno
Posted 5:01 AM 10/9/08
Thank god that they went away from the fat iPod nanos. I never liked them, they just felt weird. Is the hold-button on top again now, btw?
Eruanno
mangochutney
Posted 5:00 AM 10/9/08
The green Nano was my favourite so far. I've got one, and love it.
But the new silver one with the black click wheel is really interesting.
Too bad I've got no excuse whatsoever to buy one.
mangochutney
LVTRKTR
Posted 5:00 AM 10/9/08
Does the genius feature mean that has a wireless connection? Store access?
LVTRKTR
itchytooth
Posted 4:58 AM 10/9/08
@dogcow: That's what I want to know! My headset just broke and i've been trying to decide what to replace it with. Also curious how the new premium earbuds would work with iPhones.
itchytooth
deliciousburglar
Posted 4:57 AM 10/9/08
thats impossibly small.
deliciousburglar
Jagged Toaster
Posted 4:56 AM 10/9/08
Also, I'll be buying the black nano. All of the other colors make my eyes hurt. Honestly.
Jagged Toaster
Jagged Toaster
Posted 4:54 AM 10/9/08
I'll be driving down to the Apple Store to buy one as soon as they get them in. I asked support, and they said it should be by the end of the week. I'll call everyday though. Too bad the closest store is 41.3 miles away..
Jagged Toaster
dogcow
Posted 4:51 AM 10/9/08
Can you plug those new earbuds into the iPhone? I'd love to have volume control as well as the mic!
dogcow
mangochutney
Posted 4:49 AM 10/9/08
That shortcut menu on the middle button reminds me of Rockbox on the iPod.
Any word on sound yet?
Did the iPod get new audio chips like the iPhone 3G?
mangochutney
wcnghj
Posted 4:49 AM 10/9/08
Looks alot like a Zune to me...
wcnghj
anibundel
Posted 4:48 AM 10/9/08
I won't lie. I want the purple one.
anibundel
3eyes
Posted 4:47 AM 10/9/08
If only the new nano came with nike plus integration...
3eyes
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
Posted 4:47 AM 10/9/08
Goodness!! I think you just broke my pupils with that color choice.
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
timp123
Posted 4:46 AM 10/9/08
I'm really really suprised they have the clickwheel like that so that its wrong when you tilt it to the side. Looks better than expected overall though, but would have to see it in person to know how much glare results from the curveyness
timp123
Noobs-R-Us
Posted 4:44 AM 10/9/08
How are the new headphones with remote on them? Also, the video playtime has shortened by 1 hour, from 5 to 4 vs. the Fat. I wonder why that is even though it uses exactly the same screen?
Noobs-R-Us
Crash Override 777
Posted 4:41 AM 10/9/08
I like the blue Nano the best, but I'm not sure if I want the iPod Touch or Classic...
Crash Override 777
DeanOfAllTrades
Posted 4:38 AM 10/9/08
I don't think i can get that excited about iPods anymore when I have an iPhone. Seriously.
DeanOfAllTrades
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Posted 4:33 AM 10/9/08
I'm really glad to hear that they got the interface running smoothly right out the gate.
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
bandit
Posted 4:32 AM 10/9/08
Doesn't the curved glass screen mean that there will almost always be glare from the surrounding lights? Curved glass picks up reflections.
bandit
brutek
Posted 4:30 AM 10/9/08
I wish they added IR remote control capability to this!
brutek
OMG! Ponies!
Posted 4:29 AM 10/9/08
Is that the red or the pink? If that's the red, I'm not buying the red.
OMG! Ponies!
brutek
Posted 4:25 AM 10/9/08
More about the voice recording app please!
brutek
SwatLax
Posted 5:47 AM 10/9/08
@enchantedduck: It's called revenue.
SwatLax
enchantedduck
Posted 5:38 AM 10/9/08
OMG! its taller and thinner and has an accelerometer! Im totally bloweing another $200 just so i can be cool and everyone can look at my fancy new looking ipod that dosnt really do anything new! Ok Apple, can we wait maybe 2years for new ipods? Really, if your not going to make any major new updates, why update in the first place?
enchantedduck
Noobs-R-Us
Posted 5:28 AM 10/9/08
@Bherget3: @Late_Night: Please! That's like comparing your mother to Heidi Klum.
Noobs-R-Us
Optimus-Prime
Posted 5:26 AM 10/9/08
Fake fake fake! Clearly photoshopped! Nice try guys...pretend to actually go to these things. Pathetic.
Wait, are we done with rumor mode?
Optimus-Prime
gambrinus2
Posted 5:24 AM 10/9/08
@bandit: It looks like the screen doesn't actually extend all the way to the curved part, since there's a border around it.
gambrinus2
Late_Night
Posted 5:23 AM 10/9/08
I can't wait for the Battlemodo with the Zune..I think it may be tough to call.
Late_Night
SwatLax
Posted 5:23 AM 10/9/08
I want to see the new pink color compared to previous pink ipods.
It's for the wife...
SwatLax
kickassy
Posted 6:05 AM 10/9/08
@kickassy: In the UK
kickassy
kickassy
Posted 6:05 AM 10/9/08
When is the date i can buy this?
kickassy
SigmundTheSeaMonster
Posted 5:56 AM 10/9/08
Should I just buy them all! Then I can have one to match my clothes, my car, my truck, my bike...
SigmundTheSeaMonster
morrisalmondjoy
Posted 5:51 AM 10/9/08
Brian's lifelines do not look good.
morrisalmondjoy
maven2k
Posted 5:50 AM 10/9/08
OMG!!!! There is a black border around the screen!!! Isn't that considered a "flaw" of the Zune? How could this be?!?!?!
maven2k
silvarga
Posted 6:16 AM 10/9/08
Personally, I preferred the nearly square Nanos to this hybrid of the 1G nano and 1G mini. Maybe they'll just keep switching back & forth every year to capture all our tastes, huh?
silvarga
MichaelScrip
Posted 6:57 AM 10/9/08
@Bherget3: > "Well. I own a Zune. I have to say, this looks AWFULLY familiar."
You mean this looks like a 1st gen Nano from 2005?
MichaelScrip
dogcow
Posted 6:40 AM 10/9/08
@kickassy:
[store.apple.com]
Looks like the 8G is ready for you now (24 hours)
dogcow
netcretin
Posted 6:38 AM 10/9/08
@silvarga:
Ditto on the Nano 3G "stubby" form factor - I purchased my only Apple product because of this.
netcretin
Pwnage
Posted 7:20 AM 10/9/08
I need that sooooooo bad
Pwnage
Pwnage
Posted 7:19 AM 10/9/08
GANGSTER
WANTWANTWANT
Pwnage
Timooo
Posted 7:48 AM 10/9/08
I use coverflow, like, all the time.
Timooo
science vs romance
Posted 7:41 AM 10/9/08
does anyone use "coverflow"?
science vs romance
Benjammn
Posted 8:10 AM 10/9/08
I fucking bought a 8GB Nano a month ago. I hate you, Apple.
Benjammn
MatchzMalone
Posted 8:55 AM 10/9/08
Whats the point of getting a 16GB nano, when you can get a 120 GB classic for 50 dollars more...
I mean, unless your that dead set, or the colors. :-/
MatchzMalone
fargi
Posted 10:44 AM 10/9/08
@MatchzMalone: For the size. The nano (last generation and, i assume the new one) is small enough to be unnoticed in almost any pocket and situation. Not the classic.
fargi
hammertime1994
Posted 11:00 AM 10/9/08
Wow... The Zune flash is now officially sexier than the iPod nano.
hammertime1994
generall
Posted 12:36 PM 10/9/08
Why did they update this? It's barely different from the old one. I wouldn't even call it 4th generation, its more like 3.2 generation.
generall
rockhopper
Posted 10:11 PM 10/9/08
Interesting that there is not a peep about how it sounds in various genres. I suppose that's not important. After all there's a pink one!
rockhopper