“Only a year has passed between Apple’s introduction of the first generation of iPod nano and now. With a sizable share of the flash player market at this point, Apple revamped all of its flash players last week with a new generation of iPod nanos and iPod shuffles. The second generation iPod nano line gets a brighter screen, software updates, new headphones, new packaging, and most noticably, an entirely new enclosure made of anodized aluminum,” Jacqui Cheng reports for Ars Technica.
“The new line of iPod nanos check in at 2GB and 4GB once again, with the addition of a higher-capacity model with 8GB of storage space. The available nano colors are silver, green, blue, pink, and black. The lowest-end model, the 2GB, only comes in silver with the 4 GB model being available in all colors but black,” Cheng reports. “The pricing of the 8 GB model is interesting as well—at $249, it’s now the same price as Apple’s current 30GB regular-sized iPod, which only emphasizes the theory that users who are going to buy a black 8GB nano are doing so because of form factor and aesthetics, not because of storage capacity.”
“The screen of the new nano is noticeably brighter than the older nano when compared side-by-side. The photos don’t convey the brightness difference very well, but in person there is no mistake that the new nano’s screen is brighter and sharper. On the same-sized screen, text on the screen is clearer and more easily readable than on the old nano,” Cheng reports.
Cheng reports, “I put the nano in my pocket with a bunch of keys and coins and went about my business around the house for several hours. The nano’s aluminum body showed some very light scratches after this, but none on the screen. I then put the nano into my laptop bag with more keys, coins, my cell phone, a digital camera, and a number of other random knick-knacks. I continued to go about my business, but made special effort to rustle around my bag more than usual. After several hours of riding in my backpack, the nano came out with a few more minimal scratches, but still significantly less than the first generation, plastic-cased nano would have under the same treatment. Best of all, there were still no noticable scratches on the screen. Perhaps Apple changed the plastic on the screen to something more durable?”
“When it’s all said and done, this is a solid upgrade to the 1G nano. The better battery life, an improved screen, lower price, and colored cases, means that the 2G nano gets a solid 8. We still don’t like Apple charging more for black and not including software with the iPod,” Cheng reports.
Full review with stress tests, photos, and more here.
Related articles:
iLounge reviews, dissects Apple 2G iPod nano – September 15, 2006
PC Mag Editor’s Pick: Apple’s new iPod nano – ‘’an excellent product, slim, attractive, easy to use’ – September 14, 2006
CNET Editor’s Pick: Apple’s new 2G iPod nano – ‘sure to be top choice among wide range of users’ – September 14, 2006
Apple posts new iPod nano ad online – September 12, 2006
Apple intros new iPod nano with new aluminum design in five colors and 24-hour battery life – September 12, 2006
