Design
I was one (of the few?) who liked the look of the last iPod nano, the so-called “fatty.” Although its wider-than-tall design was derided, it represented an obvious desire to make the nano look more like the Classic. But in actual use the player proved more difficult to hold and operate. The change wasn’t the tech equivalent of New Coke, but it was seen by many as a misstep. Apple must have agreed, because the 4G nano takes the design back a generation, with a look more like the 2nd Gen model: tall and slim. The same screen has been carried over from 3G nano, but has been flipped on its end so that it’s taller than it is wide. The Click Wheel has been moved down the face of the device to make room for the taller screen.
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The 4G nano also has a new curved, ovoid design. Rather than the boxy 1G nano or the rounded-edge 2G and 3G nanos, the 4th Generation model’s entire shell has a curve, including the screen’s clear cover. This change not only makes the device more comfortable to hold, but makes it seem thinner, even though it’s thicker than the 3G nano at its center. The new nano is also lighter than previous models, only 1.3 ounces.
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The hold button is on the top edge, while the Dock Connector and 3.5mm headphone jack are still on the bottom. There are no controls on either side or the back.
The new design looks fantastic and feels great in the hand, and I’m thrilled to see the return to a fully aluminum shell. I hate the shiny backpieces Apple uses on other iPods. Aluminum or bust! The anodized aluminum shell comes in nine colors.
New Features
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The user interface (UI) has been updated on the 4G nano, largely to make better use of the tall screen. Like the previous nano, you can view album art in Cover Flow, but you now enter Cover Flow mode by turning the iPod on its side (this feature can also be turned off). This is made possible by an onboard accelerometer, which only the iPod Classic now lacks (and the screenless iPod shuffle, of course). That nifty accelerometer also allows you to enter Shuffle Songs mode by giving the nano a shake. It should be noted that shaking the player puts the iPod in Shuffle Songs mode, and does not simply turn on Shuffle. If you’re listening to a playlist when you shake the nano, the playlist is ditched for Shuffle (all) Songs. A choice between these two functions will hopefully be added via a software update. You can also turn the feature off.
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Other new features include an Energy Saver setting which turns the screen, and not just the backlight, off after a set time, Spoken Menus which announces iPod activity and menu selections aloud, and Genius, Apple’s newest marketing tool, err… music discovery system. With Genius, you can create on-the-fly playlists based on the song you choose.
The 4G nano also enjoys double the capacity of the older model. You can get one with 16GB or 8GB. In a world of 160GB MP3 players, 16GB may not seem like a lot, but it’s more than enough for the vast majority of users (as is 8GB if you don’t watch movies on your iPod). And the new capacity comes without a price bump. The 16GB version has an MSRP of $199 while the 8GB model sells for $149. I should note that you won’t actually get 16 or 8 gigabytes of storage. The 16GB version I’ve been testing has 15GB of free space out of the box.
General Use
Using the new iPod nano is a bit different from previous models, but by no means unfamiliar. There have been minor changes to the UI, most notably the transition and menu animations. The speed at which the software responds has also been improved, with little to no lag between commands and reaction. Some sub-features have been moved around a bit in the software menus, but everything you expect is still there – clock, alarms, stopwatch, contacts, Audible support, Podcasts, etc.
The sound of the 4G nano is about the same as the 3G model, with perhaps slightly better volume. Music sounds great on the nano, even with the included ear buds. Audiophiles will, of course, want to spring for some higher quality ear-gear to enjoy the best the player has to offer.
Viewing videos requires you to turn the nano on its side to take advantage of landscape orientation. Fortunately, you can turn the nano to either side, as the accelerometer will detect and adjust the video to match. Some users may not like having to turn the player on its side to watch TV shows or movies, but I found it to be quite natural.
Apple rates the audio battery life at 24 hours; in a straight playback test, I was able to get almost 30 hours of audio playback. I got more life out of the battery on video playback, too, about 5.5 hours compared to Apple’s advertised 4. Of course, the more you use the screen and the controls, the higher your brightness is set, etc., the less your battery life will be.
Accessories
The 4G iPod nano comes with earbuds, a USB sync and charging cable, and a Universal Dock adapter. Speaking of, the nano still uses the now tried-and-true Dock Connector, but there is a change. It no longer supports FireWire, and therefore cannot be charged by the FireWire pins in the connector. This means no more FireWire syncing of course, and also no charging with older iPod accessories that use this method to charge.
I tested the 4th Generation nano with several iPod speaker systems and cables, and all worked well. One speaker system worked with the nano, but didn’t charge it. No big deal there, but you may run across this problem if you have a lot of iPod accessories [Browse 4G iPod nano Accessories].
Conclusion
So, should you get the 4G iPod nano? Probably. If you have an older 1G or 2G nano, you should upgrade, if only for the improved screen, increased storage capacity and better battery life. Some 3G nano owners may not want to upgrade, particularly if they enjoy the older landscape screen, but most users will enjoy the new nano’s features. Video enthusiasts should go with the iPod touch.
An Apple fanboy I’m not, but the new nano is a solid, affordable player with a rich feature set and a list of improvements and tweaks I greatly appreciate, making this is my favorite nano so far.
I wish I could come up with a few negative things to say about the 4th Generation iPod nano, but there really isn’t much to complain about. Maybe I’ll find something I can ridicule the 5G nano about. Check back in September 2009.
