Apple's next-gen iPod nano may see return of narrow form factor

[AppleInsider]

Apple's "fatboy" iPod nano may be retired after only a year on the market to make way for a new generation of the player that will mark a return of the narrow form factor used in the first two generations of the device.

Citing "extremely confident" sources, iLounge reports the new player will retain its traditional click-wheel while sporting an elongated display with the same 1.5:1 widescreen aspect ratio as the iPhone and iPod touch, versus the 1.33:1 ratio of the prior iPod nano and iPod classic.

This will leave the player looking like, among all other things, one of Microsoft's existing Flash-based Zune players, those sources say. Apple is said to have made the move in order to preserve all of the fatboy nano's usability, while adding longer display that will allow users to rotate the device into landscape mode for viewing videos.

While iLounge is not a traditional source of insider information, it does have close ties to iPod and iPhone casing manufacturers who are sometimes privy to the dimensions of Apple's next-generation handheld devices ahead of their release.

By releasing those dimensions early, Apple affords those manufacturers ample time to develop and bring to market casings and protective holders around the same time that it introduces its remodeled handheld products.

An artist's rendition of what may be Apple's next-gen iPod nano design. | Source : iLounge.

As such, iLounge is largely credited as being one of the few publications to accurately describe the form factor of Apple's iPhone 3G handset before its public unveiling.

In its report late Tuesday, the publication also cited sources who indicated that recent rumors of next-generation iPod nanos adopting multi-colored enclosures are "most likely inaccurate."

Instead, each fourth-generation iPod nano is will more likely sport a single-colored anodized aluminum frame akin to the second-generation of the players introduced in the fall of 2006.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[aiolos]

The new design's screen would be nice because the aspect ratio is better, especially if you're converting widescreen DVD's for viewing on your iPod. Wonder how people will like the longer form....

[columbus]

Why bring the Zune into it?

It just looks like a 1G and 2G nano, which the Zune team borrowed the shape from.

[teckstud]

This is so funny because I just saw two people on the subway with each one and noticed how much better the skinny version fit in the hand. The fat version was in a shirt pocket and seemed less confortable to use- IMO.
A touch screen Nano would be amazing.

[Dogcow]

If you are able to turn the iPod the buttons will rotate too... that doesn't seem very Apple like since first, the direction and words will rotate too and now instead of up being menu it will be next, etc??? How do you solve that problem, why an accelerometer and a touch screen - iPod Touch Nano.

[aka]

Return to the slimmer form factor is good - but, please Apple, give us better than average audio!! I want my Audiophile iPod! iPods/Apple needs to be class leading in Audio Quality.

[monstrosity]

Originally Posted by columbus

Why bring the Zune into it?

It just looks like a 1G and 2G nano, which the Zune team borrowed the shape from.

i was thinking similar.

[shanmugam]

when will be the

Apple Event ?

Buy a mac and get iPod free ends Sep 15th, event before that time?

[Ireland]

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by shanmugam

when will be the

Apple Event ?

Buy a mac and get iPod free ends Sep 15th, event before that time?

Usually after- so to keep the uninformed thinking that they are getting a unbelievable deal only to get smacked the following week or two.

[malax]

Presumably this new one will be the same price (with a lot more memory) or cheaper than the existing nano. Who would choose a free nano with Mac purchase when they could get a much more expensive iPod touch instead? Well, ok a few people, but they would be better off getting the touch, selling it, buying a nano and pocketing the substantial difference. In any case, the deadline for the free touch is irrelevant to the release of a new nano.

Personally, the chubby nano design grew on me. Going back to the mini/first-gen nano shape is kinda boring.

[anantksundaram]

Given the iPhone and the iPod Touch, this design should have been the obvious evolution of the previous generation, incl. the iPod.

I think that the. current design/form factor -- esp. the phatty -- was a mistake, and, perhaps to some degree, explains the slowdown in sales growth rate.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by aka

Return to the slimmer form factor is good - but, please Apple, give us better than average audio!! I want my Audiophile iPod! iPods/Apple needs to be class leading in Audio Quality.

Good point- and give us a better equalizer too.

[shanmugam]

Originally Posted by Ireland

where is the Home button ? nice though

[shanmugam]

iPod touch to get lower price or double capacity? which is easier? i think apple will lower the price...

64Gb is kinda of expensive, unless there is some tiny tiny HDD available for iPod touch sizes

[Dunks]

Taller screen makes sense for scrolling down lists of songs.

If the device is to be held horizontally for video Apple could include an accelerometer and backlit clickwheel markings that rotate the menu, play/pause and back/forward buttons around the wheel by 90 degrees so that the clickwheel always appears upright no matter the devices orientation.

[Restalot]

Originally Posted by Ireland

I agree... this would be consistent with the direction Apple is going... and it does not outshine the iPod Touch or iPhone's user experience... one thought on the interface though is the SJ did say when they launched the iPhone that OSx was the experience they wanted to deliver all thier customers... imagine a derivative of OSx even on the new Nano... that would kill M$ and all the other clones.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by shanmugam

where is the Home button ? nice though

I know, there'll be a home button. Was thinking that all along. Although with the interface I have in mind we might not see a home button, but rather a "Back" button up top left within each app.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by Restalot

one thought on the interface though is the SJ did say when they launched the iPhone that OSx was the experience they wanted to deliver all thier customers... imagine a derivative of OSx even on the new Nano... that would kill M$ and all the other clones.

Huh? I don't get you. Nothing will kill M$, and don't listen to Jobs. He talks a lot of ****

[NOFEER]

i never did like the fat boy, the narrow nano was just perfect for single hand using apple makes mistakes and corrects them, love the colors
NOW put wifi in it, WOW, maybe a simple safari browser

[jonbruc]

Lets see, we've seen new ipod touch in firmware, and now nano is going to the vertical screen, any chance that the new nano will be multitouch?

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by columbus

Why bring the Zune into it?

It just looks like a 1G and 2G nano, which the Zune team borrowed the shape from.

They did change the screen orientation to put a larger screen on the same form. In effect, it's going to look like Apple borrowed that idea back. Not that it's true, rotating the screen like that is an almost inevitable consequence of going to a widescreen, otherwise nano would be even wider to match the same screen height.

[BRussell]

Originally Posted by Ireland

I like it. Will it be the same screen resolution as the iPhone? Will apps from the app store work on it?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by BRussell

I like it. Will it be the same screen resolution as the iPhone? Will apps from the app store work on it?

That assumes that it foregoes the more common iPod OS for the "OS X" OS used in the iPod Touch.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by solipsism

That assumes that it foregoes the more common iPod OS for the "OS X" OS used in the iPod Touch.

Iwould think it would be more screen and less border like a mini iPod Touch- and slighly longer- the size of a LG Chocolate.

[shanmugam]

for nano, no wifi and app store

only for iPod touch all the goodies ...

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by BRussell

Will it be the same screen resolution as the iPhone? Will apps from the app store work on it?

No, and no.

[backtomac]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

Given the iPhone and the iPod Touch, this design should have been the obvious evolution of the previous generation, incl. the iPod.

I think that the. current design/form factor -- esp. the phatty -- was a mistake, and, perhaps to some degree, explains the slowdown in sales growth rate.

I've a 3g Nano and my wife has a 2g Nano. Looks aside which are subjective the 3g Nano is *much* better.

I didn't like the appearance of the 3g Nano at first but have grown to like it quite a bit.

[Joseph_xxl]

While sitting on the subway I watch what listening device people are using.
8 out of 10 people are listening to ipods. Occasionally I'll spot a Creative or an iriver but ipods are used by an overwhelming majority of people. I can count on one hand how many Zunes I've seen.
Anyway, it's good to have the slim nano back because I need an 8 gig and the online prices have really been jacked up since they've been discontinued.
Hopefully this won't take Apple's attention away from finishing something more important like....
NEW MACBOOKS AND MACBOOK PROS!

[wheelhot]

Why compare with the Zune? Its as in iLounge is making an expression that Apple copied Zune design for their next iPod Nano....but Im sure Apple will make it look more classy and beautiful.

But I like Ireland iPod nano 4G mockup, looks neat and small. I guess apple can place the home button on top of the iPod or maybe there will be new feature such as if you hold the screen for like 2 sec, you will return back to the main menu or it will be like swiping left and right to move forward between menus.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by wheelhot

But I like Ireland iPod nano 4G mockup, looks neat and small.

'Small' is the keyword: You'll need a baby's fingers to operate that thing!

[dm3]

Gag-o-rama. Thats just a 2nd generation Nano with the screen expanded. Put next to a Zune to make the whole thing more disgusting. And the video on the Nano is a Microsoft and Balmer. Yuck yuck and yuck. Why is this news worthy?

I owned a 2nd generation Nano and now own a 3rd generation Nano. The 3G Nano is awesome and worlds better than the 2G Nano in every way. I never understood and certainly don't understand now what issues anyone ever had with the fat boy form factor. Its awesome. I am continually amazed at how good it is given how small it is. I often output its video to our 42" TV. Its amazing to think the video is coming from something so tiny.

[shanmugam]

how about giving GPS to iPod Touch

iPod will become more and more multi function device thats Just works

[Fast Fred 1]

Originally Posted by Joseph_xxl

While sitting on the subway I watch what listening device people are using.
8 out of 10 people are listening to ipods. Occasionally I'll spot a Creative or an iriver but ipods are used by an overwhelming majority of people. I can count on one hand how many Zunes I've seen.
Anyway, it's good to have the slim nano back because I need an 8 gig and the online prices have really been jacked up since they've been discontinued.
Hopefully this won't take Apple's attention away from finishing something more important like....
NEW MACBOOKS AND MACBOOK PROS!

What's a subway ?? I'm from Nawlins.

[GQB]

Originally Posted by Dogcow

If you are able to turn the iPod the buttons will rotate too... that doesn't seem very Apple like since first, the direction and words will rotate too and now instead of up being menu it will be next, etc??? How do you solve that problem, why an accelerometer and a touch screen - iPod Touch Nano.

hmmm... I still think the click-wheel will go away, but we'll see.
As for orientation, that's trivial. The function of any particular click is just a software mapping. If the accellerometer (sp?) detects a 90 degree switch, then the function of the clickwheel rotate as well. Of course that would mean no markings on the clickwheel itself.

I still think that the old nano form factor that's all screen is the ticket.

[wizard69]

I think you guys are missing the most likely factor or possibility here. That is Apples need for a smaller iPhone. The move to a thin and realtively long case is simplly to optimize the case for use as a hand held cell phone.

If PA Semi was indeed hired to produce application specific chips for the iPod line up this could be the avenue Apple is taking. Simply iPhone NANO!!!!!!!!



Dave

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by dm3

Gag-o-rama. Thats just a 2nd generation Nano with the screen expanded. Put next to a Zune to make the whole thing more disgusting. And the video on the Nano is a Microsoft and Balmer. Yuck yuck and yuck. ....

It's newsworthy because it's a fairly solid rumour from a group that has been right several times before as mentioned. the fact that it's both disappointing and so far seems like an ugly choice is beside the point.

I don't know what people are on about up top talking bout this being the new touch nano either. It would seem pretty unlikely that they are putting a clickwheel on a device that has a touch screen, not that a touch screen of that size could be very useful. It would make more sense to replicate the touchwheel in software just as the keyboards on the touch are now.

If this rumour is true, it almost certainly means that there will be no iPod touch nano, at least this year as having two separate nano lines seems similarly out of the question.

They could possibly bump things up a notch by putting a basic phone in it for those that just need a phone and some music and don't have the upper middle class income to afford an iPhone contract though. That might make it less of a "gift for your mum" kind of thing.

It's kind of funny now how if your portable isn't touch-based, it isn't really "cool" anymore.

I wouldn't be caught dead with one of these "old" iPods now. It's like being the only old fart on the train with the Sony Walkman tape player when everyone else is using iPods. You just feel sorry for people like that.

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

Originally Posted by BRussell

I like it. Will it be the same screen resolution as the iPhone? Will apps from the app store work on it?

To elaborate on the no/no answer given above, the screen contents would be extremely small with the iPhone resolution and the cost for screens like that would be considerable. Furthermore, with the reduction in size, App Store apps wouldn't be usable in most cases. There are plenty of other reasons why this just isn't going to happen, too.

[shanmugam]

Originally Posted by wizard69

I think you guys are missing the most likely factor or possibility here. That is Apples need for a smaller iPhone. The move to a thin and realtively long case is simplly to optimize the case for use as a hand held cell phone.

If PA Semi was indeed hired to produce application specific chips for the iPod line up this could be the avenue Apple is taking. Simply iPhone NANO!!!!!!!!



Dave

me and others who bought iPhone 3G will be p**sed off... no iPhone nano pls thanks!

next iPhone upgrade should be next year June

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by shanmugam

how about giving GPS to iPod Touch

iPod will become more and more multi function device thats Just works

It's doubtful as it would have to be GPS, have a limited A-GPS that relies only on WiFi, or include GPRS for free like with the Amazon Kindle. None of those sound like good options to me and it takes away from Apple's baby, the iPhone.