Neil Hughes and Kasper Jade
Although the new nano, built around a 1.7-inch display, is expected to sport similar dimensions to the second-generation clip-on iPod shuffle, people familiar with Apple's plans say the company will continue to market its button-less iPod shuffle as an entry-level player.
In addition, those same people say that the new nano be priced into the existing nano's pricing tier, carrying relatively the same price points as the current models. The current iPod nano, which shoots video with an included camera, sells for $149 for 8GB of capacity, and $179 for 16GB.
While the new hardware is expected to be announced at the Apple's "special event" scheduled for Wednesday, the sixth-generation iPod nano will not be immediately available for sale, people familiar with the matter say.
A rendering of Apple's anticipated iPod nano refresh shows the screen size compared to a second-gen model.
The new nano is believed to employ a screen that is roughly 3cm-by-3cm, or 1.7 inches diagonally, taking up one entire side of the device. For comparison, the current iPod nano has a screen that measures 2.2 inches diagonally, while the second-generation iPod nano had a screen that was about 3cm by 2.5cm.
Last week, AppleInsider first reported that the new iPod nano would retain Apple's 30-pin iPod dock connector within its drastically reduced form factor. This will allow compatibility with the existing, lucrative iPod accessory ecosystem.
Numerous cases for the new iPod suggest that, in addition to the 30-pin dock connector, the new device will also have external buttons for volume and hold (or lock). The device's headphone jack appears to be located at the bottom, next to the dock connector.
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68 Comments
Maybe a new nano will have a more traditional digital camera look and feel... with a facing screen and opposing camera lens?
Seems like a re-run of the previous article except for not replacing the Shuffle.
Something to keep in mind: It will cost twice as much—per ounce.
Maybe a new nano will have a more traditional digital camera look and feel... with a facing screen and opposing camera lens?
Thats a good idea.... If it had a nice lens, and better camera sensor i might not mind loosing the widescreen.
My gut feeling says that the shuffle gets bigger and gets the 3x3 cm touchscreen which doubles as a virtual click wheel. The current shuffle isn't selling well, so adding a screen with coverflow and a click wheel that appears only when needed could help sales.
I also think the nano will get a touch screen larger than the one it currently has (2.8" vs. the current 2.4" maybe). And its separate click wheel goes away in favor of the virtual click wheel that appears on the screen when needed. So it will have a bigger screen but the overall size will remain roughly the same.
And, of course, the iPod touch will get all of the iPhone 4's features except for the phone electronics. FaceTime cameras, Retina display, etc. but maybe it will have the traditional curved metal back instead of the glass slab. (And maybe it will come in black or white, and Steve will announce white iPhone 4 and white iPod touch availability...)