Alleged next-gen iPod touch, nano cases show major revisions

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
A Chinese case manufacturer has created cases claimed to fit Apple's forthcoming iPod lineup, with a fourth-generation iPod touch shown with a rear camera and flash, and a small, square sixth-generation iPod nano.



As spotted by iLounge, photos of the cases from X-Doria are claimed to fit Apple's next-generation iPod touch and iPod nano. They show what would be a major redesign for the iPod nano, giving it a small, square design that would perhaps be more akin to the iPod shuffle line.



The purported iPod nano case includes bumps on the side that appear to correlate with volume buttons . It also has a space in the back that could allow for a clip.



The size of the Chinese case has fueled speculation that a new device could employ the Apple-branded 3cm-by-3cm touchscreen that was discovered earlier this summer. Apple's current iPod nano has a display that measures diagonally 2.2 inches, or nearly 5.6 centimeters.



The cases also support an earlier rumor that Apple could unveil a new, smaller iPod nano without a click wheel. One analyst said that the redesign would be a "big departure" from the current design, though he cautioned that such a device may not see the light of day.







The iPod touch case shows space for both a camera and a flash on the back side. It also sports a curved back, suggesting the new device will not be flat like the glass back found on the iPhone 4.



Numerous alleged parts from Apple's forthcoming iPod touch refresh have shown space for a forward facing camera, suggesting that the new device will support FaceTime video chat.



Apple on Wednesday sent out invitations for a "special event" on Sept. 1 in San Francisco, Calif. The keynote will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, 1 p.m. Eastern, and will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. AppleInsider will have full live coverage.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 53
    wurm5150wurm5150 Posts: 763member
    That tiny one has to be for the shuffle.. A redesigned touchscreen shuffle perhaps..
  • Reply 2 of 53
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wurm5150 View Post


    That tiny one has to be for the shuffle.. A redesigned touchscreen shuffle perhaps..



    That’s what I was thinking. A Super Shuffle with Nike+ built-in and the ability to display album art as a song plays. No other iPod has come with a clip before.
  • Reply 3 of 53
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wurm5150 View Post


    That tiny one has to be for the shuffle.. A redesigned touchscreen shuffle perhaps..



    shuffle needs to die. thing sucks big time. i have one and i hate it. battery sucks. the controls on the headphones cant get even a little wet (sweaty) or they completely short it out which is to say that this device fails at its only real purpose in life. its too small to keep track of (i've lost it dozens of times). about the only thing thats good about it is its got a sturdy little shell you can smack around. great, so its a sturdy little useless device that costs almost 100 bucks. wtf.



    the nano could shrink if it ditched the garbage headphone controls and drop in price to a near shuffle level. if it gets to that size, say goodbye to the camera. theres no way they're putting an HD camera in a device that small meant for a gym.
  • Reply 4 of 53
    The small one is definitely the new shuffle.



    I'm picking the iPod Nano gets killed and replaced with an iPod touch mini: same res screen as current iPod touch, but slightly smaller 3" size at higher pixel density. The border around screen will be much smaller - with no top "chin". Camera on back will be 2 or 3 megapixel - no front facing camera.



    apple wants it's biggest selling device to be iOS based - will really help it dominate the app store race.



    Maybe even the tiny iPod shuffle touch screen will have app widgets - but I'm doubtful.
  • Reply 5 of 53
    I think the new 3cm x 3cm touch screen device will be announced as a "merging" of the nano and shuffle lines - leaving plenty of room for the iPod touch "mini"



    I think the classic gets killed too.
  • Reply 6 of 53
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by IOSWeekly View Post


    The small one is definitely the new shuffle.



    I'm picking the iPod Nano gets killed and replaced with an iPod touch mini: same res screen as current iPod touch, but slightly smaller 3" size at higher pixel density. The border around screen will be much smaller - with no top "chin". Camera on back will be 2 or 3 megapixel - no front facing camera.



    apple wants it's biggest selling device to be iOS based - will really help it dominate the app store race.



    Maybe even the tiny iPod shuffle touch screen will have app widgets - but I'm doubtful.



    I agree with you on most points, but it sounds like you are saying if they use the same display resolution in a smaller display then they won?t have to change up iOS? UI elements for the device. This is Apple we?re talking about, not Motorola. If they are going to use a different size display -and- have it run on iOS then we?ll see a new UI to go with it. If they want third apps for it, too, then we?ll have an SDK that allows for apps for that device?s HW specs.
  • Reply 7 of 53
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I agree with you on most points, but it sounds like you are saying if they use the same display resolution in a smaller display then they won?t have to change up iOS? UI elements for the device. This is Apple we?re talking about, not Motorola. If they are going to use a different size display -and- have it run on iOS then we?ll see a new UI to go with it. If they want third apps for it, too, then we?ll have an SDK that allows for apps for that device?s HW specs.



    Fair point - I'm thinking just a tiny reduction in screen size - from 3.5 to 3 or 3.2 -with most of the device shrinkage coming from the reduced bezel size.
  • Reply 8 of 53
    rbonnerrbonner Posts: 635member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jeffreytgilbert View Post


    shuffle needs to die. thing sucks big time. i have one and i hate it. battery sucks. the controls on the headphones cant get even a little wet (sweaty) or they completely short it out which is to say that this device fails at its only real purpose in life. its too small to keep track of (i've lost it dozens of times). about the only thing thats good about it is its got a sturdy little shell you can smack around. great, so its a sturdy little useless device that costs almost 100 bucks. wtf.



    the nano could shrink if it ditched the garbage headphone controls and drop in price to a near shuffle level. if it gets to that size, say goodbye to the camera. theres no way they're putting an HD camera in a device that small meant for a gym.



    Yeah, no point in Apple trying to get it right. You hear this sort of thing in most motivational materials.



    Agree with the camera, that is really the only way you can get it into a gym anyway.
  • Reply 9 of 53
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by IOSWeekly View Post


    Fair point - I'm thinking just a tiny reduction in screen size - from 3.5 to 3 or 3.2 -with most of the device shrinkage coming from the reduced bezel size.



    Gotcha. I?m thinking this squared iPod is the new Shuffle, the Nano will be about the same shape and the Touch will be a thinner iPhone 4. I don?t expect too much in the way of dramatic changes to the Nano?s overall size and dimensions, nor do I think it?ll be iOS-based, though that would be great, especially if it did get 802.11b/g for at least video uploads and YouTube videos.
  • Reply 10 of 53
    I can't see them keeping last years iPod touch model around in the low end either - they will have to at least add a camera to it, or more likely the 8 gb low end model will simply be the new mini version.
  • Reply 11 of 53
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    And yet that is what they have done two years in a row with the iPhone as well as last year with the iPod touch: make the previous generation's low capacity model the entry-level unit (no additional hardware changes).



    It is likely that Apple will keep the 3rd generation iPod touch in the 8GB or 16GB size as the entry level model when they introduce the iPod touch 4. There would be no changes to the hardware feature set of the older device.



    From a design, manufacturing, and cost perspective, it makes no sense for Apple to add additional functionality to last year's design; they just want to milk the design for all its worth since the economies of volume have driven down cost.
  • Reply 12 of 53
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    And yet that is what they have done two years in a row with the iPhone as well as last year with the iPod touch: make the previous generation's low capacity model the entry-level unit (no additional hardware changes).



    It is likely that Apple will keep the 3rd generation iPod touch in the 8GB or 16GB size as the entry level model when they introduce the iPod touch 4. There would be no changes to the hardware feature set of the older device.



    From a design, manufacturing, and cost perspective, it makes no sense for Apple to add additional functionality to last year's design; they just want to milk the design for all its worth since the economies of volume have driven down cost.



    I see your reasoning, and normally I would agree, but this year might be different due to 2 things: 1. The camera was removed at the last moment in the last model, there is still room for them to simply slot it back in. 2. The non-touchscreen nano is getting very out of date - I don't think they would go to the trouble of giving the shuffle a touch screen and not also replace the nano with a touch screen as well. And if you gonna give it a touch screen then you might as well let it runn apps too.
  • Reply 13 of 53
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    And of course we haven't disucssed the iPod classic yet. For years I've argued against those who thought it was facing imminent death, but I think this might be the year. I think the big change for the nano is going to be an increase in capacity to step in and finally be able to replace the high-capacity classic. The nano then become the "dinosaur" of the iPod lineup, keeping the old-school controls in order to minimize cost and use the savings to pay for the extra flash chips.



    The shuffle will get the touch screen controls, which will provide Apple a way of putting controls back on the body of the shuffle (where they belong) without admitting that taking the buttons off last year was a mistake.
  • Reply 14 of 53
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Would be cool if the 3x3 touch screen is encased by Liquidmetal.
  • Reply 15 of 53
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


    And of course we haven't disucssed the iPod classic yet. For years I've argued against those who thought it was facing imminent death, but I think this might be the year.



    That?s one of those wild cards that depends on the current sales. It?s not like it costs them much to maintain so it will likely depend on current sales. Two years ago the Classic got a boost in capacity from 80 to 120GB with the 160GB model being dropped altogether. The next year the 120GB was bumped to 160GB with a new Toshiba 1.8? HDD. Who else are buying these drives? Will there be a point when there won?t be HDD upgrades, just price drop on the item? Usually that makes the most financial sense in business, but it?ll all depend on current and projected sales, so it?s anyone?s guess. I?m weighing in with no new capacity, just a price drop.
  • Reply 16 of 53
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wurm5150 View Post


    That tiny one has to be for the shuffle.. A redesigned touchscreen shuffle perhaps..



    That would be a big mistake unless the 'touchscreen' also has a raised surface for viewless operation.
  • Reply 17 of 53
    guch20guch20 Posts: 173member
    If there really is going to be a touch-screen iPod that small, the amount of accidental inputs from fingers trying to select one tiny option on a tiny screen is going to drive consumers nuts.
  • Reply 18 of 53
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    It might be logical to assume Apple wants to kill the nano in favor of a "low end" iPod touch that can use all of the same apps as the iPhone and their (supposedly) new iPod video (or however they'll want to segment the products now), and they would then fit into the mix the new shuffle with a square form factor and no screen, but with tactile buttons on the front.
  • Reply 19 of 53
    lvidallvidal Posts: 158member
    If that little thing is going to be one of the new things this September 1, it is the new Shuffle. It is impossible for me to think that they are going to make the nano that size. If they ever will make it a touch device then the size should be more o les the size of the actual nano but all touch display with a couple of buttons to control the playback.



    As for the Touch Case it seem to me just the same as I do imagine it. I hope they just make a better scratch resistance back, some new material but not the black plastic of 3G's 3GS's please.
  • Reply 20 of 53
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    First, I'd just like to note how good a thread can be when there aren't a lot of people jumping in to belittle Apple's products and customers, just to be doing it. Reminds me of AI of yore.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by IOSWeekly View Post


    I think the new 3cm x 3cm touch screen device will be announced as a "merging" of the nano and shuffle lines - leaving plenty of room for the iPod touch "mini"



    I think the classic gets killed too.



    As long as we're voting, I'll go with this. I think Apple is always looking for ways to streamline their product lineup, and the current Shuffle doesn't seem to have gone over very well (I have no idea what the sales look like, however, so as far as I know it could be hugely successful and therefore entrenched).



    Even if they don't go the full iOS, having a single lower-end, touch-based iPod below the Touch might make sense at this point, as dedicated music players are slowly being eclipsed by smart-phones and their WiFi only brethren.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    That’s one of those wild cards that depends on the current sales. It’s not like it costs them much to maintain so it will likely depend on current sales. Two years ago the Classic got a boost in capacity from 80 to 120GB with the 160GB model being dropped altogether. The next year the 120GB was bumped to 160GB with a new Toshiba 1.8” HDD. Who else are buying these drives? Will there be a point when there won’t be HDD upgrades, just price drop on the item? Usually that makes the most financial sense in business, but it’ll all depend on current and projected sales, so it’s anyone’s guess. I’m weighing in with no new capacity, just a price drop.



    I think Apple might axe the Classic even if it has pretty good sales, on the grounds that hard drive and scroll wheel based machines are done. I can just sort of imagine Steve getting itchy at the thought the Classic still exists-- like OS 9 long after X had gone mainstream, but without any OS installed user base inertia to justify keeping it around.



    I think Apple must want to have a very clean product matrix: OS X laptops and desktops, iOS portables-- and that includes portables much too small to support anything like the touch conventions of things like the iPhone. But it is possible to imagine a device with iOS underpinnings that presents very basic user controls on a small screen, including perhaps even a representation of a scroll wheel. A single app that runs as a touch screen widget, so no powerful CPU needed. Apple wouldn't have to worry about supporting yet another screen resolution for apps, because that wouldn't be part of the deal, but they would still have the unified code base across all their portable offerings.



    Is it possible to make hardware capable of running even a truncated iOS, plus touch screen, starting at, say (splitting the difference between the existing Shuffle and Nano) $100? Don't know. But I bet they'd love to have everything under two roofs (until the grand unification somewhere up the road, and all roofs become one).
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