Pros

• Roughly about half the size of the earlier model.
• Uses a unique multi touch screen navigation
• There is a provision for a clip so making it convenient for people on the move.
• Superior battery life and volume when compared to its earlier versions.
• The new user interface resembles the OS used in the iPod Touch and iPhone.
• Compatible with earlier dock accessories.
• The interface is swift and responsive.

Cons

• Does not feel like sixth generation of the iPod. Gives you a feeling it is a whole new product.
• No Video capabilities or Games either.
• No Speakers.
• Just one multi-touch gesture.
• No click wheel and it takes time to get used to the swiping.
• Expensive.
• Earphones with mic and playback controls should have been included.

Review:

The iPod Nano is a device that has rivalled the iPod classic in terms of the change it brought bout in the gizmo industry both in terms of legacy and popularity. Its popularity is justified considering its improvements every generation. Ever since it debuted in 2005, it has received high recommendation in its entire previous version from us. The first version was prone to scratches, and apple used aluminium for the second version. The third version had video capabilities and gaming.

There were improvements in the body for the fourth generation and everything else we wanted was in the fifth version. However, this year Apple decided to try for something new and came out with the sixth generation Nano, placing a new device that is a hybrid of the iPod Nano and iPod touch with the size of a iPod shuffle minus all the features we have been used to expect from the Nano. Despite these radical changes and the cost factor, we would not be writing off the Nano. It has a fantastic battery life, a convenient small size, an OS like the one on iPhone rather than the one on the iPod and “multi-touch”.  A super-shuffle or sub-Ipod Nano model, the sixth generation could be a hit in the lower end price segment. That is where the problem lies. We are not coming to terms with the fact that it has come as a successor to device that did twice more the stuff for the same price. Has apple taken it is first ever mis-step? Read on to find out if the Nano’s worth it.

Design:

iSquare:

When we saw the 2009 variant of the Nano, we thought it was impossible that Apple could make something smaller than it. But little did we know that in late 2010, Apple proved us wrong.  The sixth generation iPod Nano is only slightly larger than the iPod shuffle with an extra of half an inch to accommodate the 1.25″ touchscreen. The device measures 1.61 inches wide, 1.48 inches long and 0.35 inches thick including the rear clip. While screens are not new on such small devices, the fact that it is an Apple device indicates the high quality and functionality of the device.

Weighing around 21 grams, iPod Nano 6th Gen Player is much lighter than the earlier version. It is SO light that when you clip it to a shirt, you will not notice it hanging there.

Anodized Body and Colour Variants:

This year’s Nano features a polished anodized aluminium body, similar to the fourth generation iPod shuffle. It is not as shiny as the last year’s Nano but yet vaguely similar. The device is available in seven colours down from the nine available with Apple ditching yellow and purple colours. The other colours have also witnessed a shift in the tone including the nearly purple blue, a bronze toned orange and a rosier pink. A rose red version is offered as an option through the Apple stores and a graphite colour model replaces the the black charcoal Nanos with a lighter tone.

The Screen:

While the casing is pretty cool, most people would rather want to know about the screen.  6th Generation Nano has a 240 x 240 resolution with the screen measuring about 1.25 inches and 1.54 inches diagonally. It is the smallest screen ever since the Nano was capable of a having a display. Its resolution is 160 odd ppi higher than the iPhone 3G and the earlier counterparts. With having to squeeze more into a smaller space, you would not expect great viewing angles. But be prepared to be surprised, we had crystal clarity from a fairly sharp off angle. The artwork is pretty decent but the text seems shadowed compared to what we see on the iPhone.
Obviously, Apple must have given thought on how to make a touch screen so good that people would not miss the physical button experience. Apple has managed to create a replica of the iPod touch/iPhone interface with a few home screens, and the ability to hold down any icon and shift its location across home screens. There are little dots right at the bottom of the screen that tell you how many more screens are available. There is not any unlocking screen and you have the option to choose the background from a set of a few built in images. But what was disappointing is the lack of an option to substitute our own photos as a background.

Controls:

When the screen is switched off, the device looks jet black in contrast to the sides which are tinted thoroughly except for the ports and the three gray buttons which are similar to the ones found on the iPhone 4 except they’re smaller and used for volume and Sleep/wake controls. The plus sign on one of the buttons marks the volume up button and a minus is the volume down button. These buttons are included on the device as there are no touchscreen equivalents for these operations.  Same is the case with the Sleep/Wake button, there’s no iPhone like alternative.

Navigation:

For years, people have considered the click wheel the best possible way to navigate and now that is gone. Apple could have included the 3 button remote equipped earphones but chose to include the older standard ear buds. Their inclusion would have made it easier to overlook the lack of physical playback control buttons. So in order to control playback, you need to pull out the Nano and then navigate it appropriately. While it is not too much of a deal, it is inconvenient during active use. At the bottom of the device are the 30 pin dock connector port and the 3.5mm headphone jack. The device is compatible with a few accessories of the earlier generation such as the standard earphones.

Shirt clip:

The addition of a rear shirt clip makes it wearable for the first time and is one of the features it has inherited from the shuffle. Though it is bigger than the ones found on the shuffle, it’s slightly smaller than the rear surface. The clip does not hide the rear service compartment like it did in the shuffle.  All of the internal components are fit into a model by inserting them and fills the large hole making it a highly elegant design to hold with the only challenge being the screen being accidentally activated.

Interface:

When you first turn on the Apple iPod Nano 6th Generation, there are icons deleted to items that previously appeared under the Music menu such as Now Playing, Artists etc. The iPod Nano’s interface resembles the one found on an iOS device. However, Apple has confirmed that the Nano does not run iOS nor can you install newer apps from iTunes. On the first screen are also present Playlists and Genius mixes. The second and third home screens have Radio, Podcasts, Photos, Songs, Albums, Genres and Composers. The fourth screen has a Fitness screen and a Clock along with two blank spots. When you plug in an accessory, an option called the Voice Memos turns up that allows you to record Voice with a few small adjustments.  You can use iTunes to synchronize an audio book to the Nano. However, there is no option to delete any icons, you need to shift them to another page. While giving each of these features an own icon seems absurd, Apple obviously did it to make it look feature rich and better than white screens with little black text as in the case of the  earlier Nanos.  There is an extra white space on all the sides to allow slight imprecision in the finger movement.  Because only three to four artist names appear on the screen at once, get ready for a lot of swiping.  There is a god-sent miniature alphabetical navigation bar on the right of the screen that is pretty nifty if you have a firm finger.

The absence of a faithful Home screen also means that you will have to swipe from left to right or vice versa till you return to the home screen. Quite inconvenient for someone who is used any of the earlier Nanos. Another oddity is the inability to set the time before which the screen dozes off. The screen dims around 20 seconds and goes to sleep after 60 seconds; an extra tap for this.

Multi Touch Gestures:

Apple has promoted the device as a multi-touch but actually, it is too small for most people to do anything simultaneously. More importantly, it is capable of only one multi-touch gesture that is to rotate the screen 90 degrees so that the screen could be read in any position. You might wonder why would Apple not use the inbuilt Accelerometer for this purpose and when it could have used pinch to zoom as a feature for multi-touch.  Try taking a clipped Nano along with you and that will force the screen to rotate unnecessarily.

Accessibility:

There are a host of features to make the device useable by the deaf or blind users. Features like the Mono Audio and screen colour flipping White on Black have been brought over from the iPhone. Voice Over helps visually impaired people browse the screen by reading out the names of the artists, albums etc.  However, the un-scalable text and lack of physical track switching would make it a weaker choice when compared to its predecessors.

Features:

The sixteen icons that the device can be clubbed into the following categories : music playback, FM radio tuning, voice recording, photo playback, workout tracker and a clock display.  We were mildly surprised with the iPod’s handling of video and image content.

Memory:

The iPod Nano sixth generation is available in 8GB and 16GB. With the former having 7.35GB usable space and the latter have 14.8 GB. This loss is accounted to the space required for the OS and the flash memory. The devices can store 2000-4000 songs of about 3 minutes each and 128kbps. The better the quality and longer the songs, lesser will be the number of songs stored.

iPod Music/Audio:

Ten of the sixteen slots available take you to the playback or other features. Playlists are manual collections and Genius Mixes are iTunes generated collections of tracks. Artists, Songs, Albums, Genres and Composers sort the library according to those headers. Audio books and Podcasts are well, for storing audio books and podcasts. Now playing brings you to the track that’s currently being played. Because of the small screen, playback is slightly different from the earlier versions. When one selects a track, the cover art of the album fills the screen and a tap is necessary for bringing up the details of the artist’s name, album name etc. There’s an “i” button at the bottom of the screen that allows you to rate the track up to five stars and a list of other tracks from the same album. While Apple has tried to make most out of this tiny screen by putting focus on the art, the controls do not feel as convenient as on earlier models because there often arises a need to look down at the screen just to pause or change songs.
Audio books have a list of chapters in place of the album track menu and the genius and shuffle buttons are replaced with a “back 30 seconds” and an option to be read at half, actual or twice the speed. Podcasts too have the same options, the third screen containing data from iTunes explaining what the podcast contains.

Radio Tuning:

Of the plethora of features that were available in the last year’s model, only two survived. One being the integrated Radio FM tuner that Apple incorporated only very recently. In order to tune the radio, the headphones need to be connected. Once you do so, there appears a cropped and no frills version of last year’s screen with big numbers and an ‘i’ button to bring up a menu. When you tap on the station number, a scrollable dial appears that allows you to browse station by station. There’s the extremely handy feature of live pause that allows you to stop and time shift about 15 minutes of a live broadcast.  Mind you, you can’t save songs but in case there’s something you missed on the radio, this feature allows you to skip back and play again.  Selecting the ‘i’ button gives a settings menu that lets you search for stations and a favourites option that allows you to access your bookmarked stations.  The FM tuner was as powerful as it was on the earlier versions. We liked the look of the interface and are one of the few improvements in the new Nano. The iPod touch and iPhone would be nicer if they had this option.

Voice Recording:

The Voice memo application in the sixth generation Nano is a cut down version of the application found in the earlier iPods. The files are recorded as 128kbps AAC files even if using the mic and consume about 1MB per every minute recorded. While the quality of the content depends on the microphone used, the ones in the Apple’s ear phones with the remote and mic do a great job. They are however sold separately on the Apple site.  Selecting the list button allows you to see your prior recordings and add labels accordingly. There is an option to delete tracks if you do not want them to be synchronized to your iTunes. The voice recording is a feature that works pretty well and we have no complaints.

Photo playback:

This feature is designed particularly to improve its appeal amongst people who love sharing images with their friends. The earlier Nano’s initially were not the best devices, but they have improved over time. There are a set of transition effects such as Page Flip, Origami and dissolve during slideshow but otherwise, this Nano’s just as average as its earlier versions. Though there are a higher number of pixels this time, the thumbnails have dropped down to 9 which means you will have to scroll around a lot of photos in an album. The square shape of the display also means that the images are surrounded with big black boxes making them look even smaller. Here, too zoom into the photos tapping does work.  However, we have a serious issue with the device here. When the images on the Nano are played on an external display, the images have such poor quality; we wondered why Apple released this feature when it is so poorly implemented.

Nike iPod Sports Kit:

This is a feature that has been around for years now and the iPod Nano 8GB, 16GB Sixth Generation Player features the same. It is a kit complete with a dock connector dongle and a sensor that can be mounted on a shoe. The application has male and female voices that provide status and motivation during jogs. You can also synchronise data from your workouts to Nikeplus.com using iTunes. There are options such as Basic, Time, Calorie workout options, summary of the performances, distances covered and the ability to remember your sprints. The on screen numbers have been made smaller to accommodate the buttons.  Even the iPod hear rate monitor is provided as well.  The new Pedometer features a screen that counts the number of steps you take on a daily, monthly and annual purpose. Thanks to the smaller text, the pedometer has six digits instead of the earlier four. You can activate the feature while using audio playback and this is indicated by the image of a shoe on the top bar of the screen.

Clock:

If there is a reason they could continue the Nano in its present form, it would the clock feature. Thanks to its size and wear-ability, it is single watch face along with a calendar would make it a perfect watch.  Under the settings, the date and time menu can be accessed to make the display a clock whenever the screen is idle. A left swipe would bring up the home screen and a right swipe would bring up a countdown.  Apple should consider this feature more seriously like introducing newer and hybrid watch faces making it competition to existing brands. Sure, the present size is a bit larger, but Apple’s known to make stuff smaller and we’re hoping they would make good use of this.

No Games:

One of the things we were disappointed with the iPod Nano 6ht generation is the lack of any games. People who are used to playing Klondike, Maze and Vortex will surely miss the feature.  Also you cannot download games for the device thereby rendering it useless when it comes to gaming for leisure.

Syncing with iTunes:

It is as easy to sync the device with iTunes as it was on the earlier models. The iTunes 10 software allows you to drag and drop files under various options such as music, podcasts etc. Transferring rate on this model is much faster. It took about a minute and half to transfer 1GB of files when compared to the 2:07 seconds of the iPod touch and 6 minutes of the iPod Shuffle. These faster speeds make it easier to use than other iPods.

What is missing?

The iPod Nano sixth generation surely lacks a lot of features from the previous generations. There is no cover flow, search and a built in speaker.  It is also not capable of playing video in any form, so there go movies, TV shows or even video parts of podcasts.  Another notable omission is the video camera.  Also missing are alarms, calendars, contacts, notes and world clocks.

Audio quality:

The sound from the headphones is remarkably louder than the fifth generation counterpart with the Nano about 10 percent more powerful.  The new iPod Nano is capable of handling video content. No, do not rush to conclusions, while it cannot play back video, it allows you to listen to the audio part of the video podcasts. These files appear both under the Podcast icons as well as Music videos icon.

Battery Life:

One of the very few things about the device that we liked is its battery life. Inspite of being the smallest Nano ever, its battery life lasted well above Apple’s 24 hour estimate. The device played on for about 35 hours on 50 percent volume lasting out about an hour more than the fifth generation model and two more than the fourth generation one.

What is in the box?

The packaging is similar to the iPod shuffle’s box except slightly larger. There is a full USB to dock connector cable, a standard pair of earphones minus remote and mic, an apple logo sticker, warranty guide and a start up guide. The universal dock adapter’s missing because Apple wanted to cut down on packaging waste.

Warranty:

The Apple iPod Nano sixth generation is covered by a warranty of one year.

Price Tag:

The iPod Nano is priced roughly as much as the fifth generation model without half of its features. It is the price that is the biggest letdown amongst all of it. Had it been priced around the range of iPod shuffle, this product would have got our recommendation.

Verdict:

Most of our users would agree that the new addition the Nano family is hard to be taken seriously as the sixth generation of the Nano brand.  No change in the price tag, omission of too many features  we have got used to, lack of true multi touch make this the first ever  Nano we would not recommend. Had the price been half of what it is, maybe it would have been different.

Do not get us wrong, the Nano is not a bad product. The new form factor and screen are pretty cool. It is definitely much better than the iPod shuffle released in 2009. But its the lack of features and the small interface issues that turned us off. Maybe Apple was looking to make a simple no frills music player that could be a successor to the iPod shuffle.  If that’s the case, then the device delivers. However, it does not live up to the expectations of its Nano tag. It is up to Apple to either shrink it even smaller or make it larger and include better features.  The best option for Apple is to consider a refurbished model of the fifth generation and work on this one as an accessory, you might never know, wristband music players could be the next in thing.

Apple iPod Nano Sixth Generation (8GB & 16GB) - Technical Specification Table

With the latest iPod Touch Fourth Generation, Apple has managed to close the gap between what its portable media player and iPhone are capable of. We think an apt way to describe this latest edition as an iPhone without the “Phone” capability. They have put the Touch on a diet, slimmed it down and beefed up the feature list and maintains it to be one of the most versatile hardware you can drop in your pocket. The reduction in dimensions has not stopped Apple from squeeze in a super sharp Retina display, couple of cameras and the A4 processor that did it for the iPhone 4 and iPad. These hardware upgrades has allowed Apple to include a plethora of new and interesting features such as the FaceTime calls, and Record and Edit videos just like what you can do on the iPhone 4.

Design:

Size zero yet?

Well, we said that the iPod Touch 4th Gen is very much like the iPhone 4, but that is true just to the feature set and does not apply to the form factor. So, the Touch has retained its trademark shiny metal back plate, and yes, as always it is prone to the dirty finger marks and smudges. The very second that you place the hands on the latest iPod Touch, you will be able to feel its incredible slimness. It has really come down to shaving slivers of metal off the iPod each and every time now, largely because it is really thin already. This time the 4th gen is even thinner, of course, as the bezel has been cut down on the width as well, but the big stat is probably the drop in weight. It is not that drastic, but it makes the 3rd gen look a little out of shape. As far as the changes are concerned, the Sleep and Wake button has been moved to that right hand side to match the iPhone and iPad. But the headphone port retains its spot on the bottom, next to the dock connector

The Retina Display:

You are blind if you did not notice the mind blowing Retina display as soon as the Touch is switched on. Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation Media Player has a resolution of 960 x 640 pixels and packs in about 326 pixels per inch. These values are about four times as many as that display on the 3rd Gen Touch model. It is bright, Vivid and simply incredibly sharp; if you had been using an older version of the iPod or iPhone, the difference is inevitable, especially while reading text. We guarantee you that the amazement will not stop with just the first time of using it, it will probably last for at least a month. Though named as the Retina display, it is not the same as the one that you would find on the iPhone 4, as it is not the type with in-Plane Switching (IPS). So, if you are keen on what difference is this feature going to make? It is not that good at viewing angles, and you will be able to make out this difference if you look at both of them from an angle.

The Package:

One change with the package that was less fortunate was its decision to not supply headphones with an in-wire clicker. Otherwise, you get the usual pair of Apple headphones, and this means, you have to get the iPod out of your pockets to control the player. If you are too disappointed to accept this fact, you can always stick in a compatible set of earplugs with the clickers. It is just a shame that Apple has chosen not to include it in its top of the range iPod. Apple also sells Dock to VGA, Dock to component AV and Dock to Composite AV cables to output video from the iPod touch.

Features:

With the feature set being so close to the iPhone 4, the comparisons are simply inevitable. However, the ultimate fact is that one is a phone and other is a media player, just with a whole load of extras. One more difference is that, there cannot be an on-going cost involved with the iPod Touch, and this difference is valid only as long as you sign up for an iPhone 4 with a contract.

Capacities Available:

The iPod Touch Fourth Generation is available in three usual ‘Apple’ capacity choices of 8GB, 16GB and 64GB.

Connectivity:

Connectivity wise, the iPod Touch has the usual suspects of Bluetooth, WiFi connectivity and the Wireless N also makes a bow on an iPod for the first time too. The processor employed on the iPod Touch has been upgraded to A4, which is same as the one on Apple’s other best sellers, iPad and iPhone 4. Hence, the performance is excellent. Boy, does this processor make the Touch fly; the device manages to boot from cold to Home screen in just 31 seconds, which is about 5 seconds faster than the iPhone 4. However, in reality, there is just hardly any need for you to switch off the device completely; you can just put it to sleep and wake it in an instant as soon as you wish to use it. Its overall performance is somewhat similar to that of iPhone , and unlike the last iterations, it does not look like there is an internal difference between the 8GB, 32GB and 64GB versions, apart from the memory. This means they all support multitasking. Swiping between the screens is smooth, pop-up alerts seems to appear without any jitters and the folders sweep open simply majestically. The entire user interface simply oozes with class and polish; it is a joy to use and as it the onscreen keyboard.

iOS 4.1 and iTunes 10:

As with all of the iOS devices, the iPod Touch 4th Gen has to be connected to the     iTunes before you are allowed to use it. Despite now being on its tenth version, it is still a slow, clunking heap of rubbish. You will be guided through the setup process and also will be offered a chance to restore a previous backup to it; this is when you already own an iPhone or iPod, transferring all of the Apps and setting it up is easy. If you do not wish to upload all of the Apps you have on to the iPod Touch, all you have to do is, simply uncheck the ones that you would rather leave on your system and just resync. Since the iPod Touch comes installed with the iOS 4.1, you will not have to wait around for any updates. Just transfer all your music and you are ready to go in minutes. If you purchase any Apps on the iPod Touch, it gets synced to your computer when it is connected up next. However, if you choose to manage your music manually, the things that you buy on the iPod are not copied across automatically. Though this is easy to do, we feel that it would have been better if it were all automated.

Formats:

The Apple iPod Touch Fourth generation 8GB/32GB/64GB supports a range of audio formats, including 8-320Kbps AAC and the protected variant that you get from the iTunes Store. You can also play HE-AAC, regular and VBR MP3, AIFF, Apple Lossless, WAVE and Audible (2, 3, 4, Enhanced Audio, AAX and AAX+). The ones that it does not support include FLAC, OGG or WMA files; it will not play them without converting them on your computer first. If you try to copy an incompatible file to your iPod touch, iTunes will warn you it will not work and will refuse to copy it. Apple still has not seen fit to build an FM radio into the iPod touch, which is annoying, although there are loads of streaming radio apps that will work fine if you are in the range of a Wi-Fi connection. When it comes to video, the Touch plays a range of them including up to 720p H.264-encoded formats such as .mp4, .mov and .m4v. It also likes MPEG-4-encoded .mp4, .mov and .m4v, as well as Motion JPEG .avi files. Here again, there are free tools for Mac and PC to convert these, such as Videora.

Face Time:

Apple has been running a major advertising campaign for FaceTime, which is its video chat service that works over WiFi. It makes use of the front-facing camera (more on this later) to film your face as you talk to your friend, while at the same time having their face on your device. Until now this feature was just exclusive to iPhone, and for that to work, you had to make a regular mobile call to begin with. With this feature on the iPod Touch, it works a treat. You have to sign up with your Apple ID; that is the same as the one that you use for the App Store and iTunes Store, and then anybody with an iPod Touch or iPhone 4 will be able to call you, just using your FaceTime email ID. If you are trying to call an iPhone 4 owner, you type in their phone number. It works brilliantly, with better than expected video and audio quality. The only glitch that we had with this feature is that, when we made a call to a friend whose device was not connected to a WiFi network at the time. The Touch did not show any error message and gives a regular ringing sound, as if the other person just did not care to pick up. However, the recipient does get a notification of a missed call once we hung up.

Cameras:

The cameras on the iPod Touch is something like the proverbial busses; we have waited for years for one to appear and suddenly two have come along at once. There is the VGA front facing camera to enable the Face Time Video chat feature and the usual rear facing one to take snaps. Both of them are welcome additions, despite the fact that the latter is nowhere near as good as the ones that are employed on the iPhone 4 for taking still images. At just 960 x 720 pixels, we would say that there were cameras a decade ago that were more capable.

Apps:

It would be a crime if we have an Apple iPod review without discussing about their out-of-the-world Apps. Just like with the iPhone and iPad, with the Touch too, you can choose from about 250,000 apps available on the app store to make it do just about anything you wish to.

Apps that missed out:

Notably missing from the iPod touch’s applications are the iPhone applications Phone, which depends upon cellular hardware and cellular service for voice calling, and Compass, which requires a magnetometer and GPS hardware to show your current orientation, longitude and latitude. The lack of GPS and compass hardware in the iPod touch also limits the performance of this model’s Maps application for turn-by-turn direction purposes, requiring the addition of unjustifiably expensive GPS accessory hardware to bring this model up to pace with the iPhone 4. But, it does have a location pinpointing system, which makes use of the nearby WiFi networks does a remarkable job in the urban areas. However, it does not seem to work when you are any from civilizations.

Game Center and Gryoscope:

Like Steve Jobs, we would also like to press the point about iPod Touch’s gaming capabilities, and the latest Game Center is now a part of the iOS 4.1. The three axis gyroscope also adds to this list. The Game Center App is a one stop shop for gaming. From here, you will be able to download compatible games from the App store and build up a list of friends to play with. The list of games available seems to be ever growing and, as of now it also includes popular titles such as FarmVille, Flight Control and Real Racing. As in the case of any social networking activity, it will become more fun as you get more of your friends join up to it.

Performance:

Camera performance:

As far as the performance of these cameras is concerned, the colour reproduction seems to be slightly colder and less realistic than on the iPhone 4 and the angle of view is narrower too. In addition to this, there is no HDR, and the lens is also only fixed focus; tapping over the display will do the mere task of altering the exposure. We would say that this camera is just OK for capturing a quick moment for Facebook or Twitter, but it cannot be considered any serious and its uses are limited. Obviously, when compared to the iPhone 4, it is a chalk and cheese. One area where the iPod Touch’s camera excels is at video recording. Like the Flip Video-style camcorders, shooting at 30fps and at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels for 720p HD, it does quite a decent job. Though the colours are still not as rich as that on the iPhone, the angle of view is wider and panning is smoother too.

Video:

We would happily recommend iPod Touch’s camera for the kind of straightforward, point and shoot video, which it is mostly going to be used for. Having said that, it is still nowhere near the quality of Flip style mini camcorders. But unlike most of those, you do not need to plug it into a computer to publish the video file on YouTube. The touch uses the Wi-Fi connection to upload the results directly; Before you press the big ‘publish’ button, you can cut the start and end of a clip, or by buying iMovie for £3 from the App Store, you can get some more sophisticated editing options.

Audio:

As we had mentioned earlier, the included headphones do not have any clickers on the wire, but unfortunately, it is not sounding good too. The frequency response is between 20Hz and 20,000Hz, with an impedance of 32 ohms. We would say that it is worth playing around with the various EQ presets to get a bit more oomph out of them, but you will never be able to get the huge depth or powerful bass. The audio also starts to get a bit tinny if you turn up the volume really high. We would say that they are certainly better than the ones that come with the earlier generations of the iPods. If you love your music, it is worth investing a little extra over some specialist headphones. The internal speaker is quieter than the one on the third-gen touch, but that is probably for the best as the definition is understandably poor given its tiny size.

Battery:

When iPods first came out in the market, there was a lot of fuss about battery life and it is a testament to Apple that such discussions are highly irrelevant now a days. They claim that the 4th Gen iPod Touch is capable of 40 hours of music playback or seven hours of video. This is a major enhancement considering the 30 hours of music and 6 hrs of video of the third gen model. As in the case of all the gadgets, the accurate battery life totally depends on what you do with it, but with the iPod Touch, we can assure you that you will not have to nervously glance at the battery meter, which was not the case of the previous iPods. We think that a percentage figure next to the battery indicator would be a nice addition. All we can usefully tell you is that the battery lasts a good day of using as many of the advanced features you can, before needing a recharge, and that video calling seems to zap the battery indicator the most.

Value:
This latest edition of the 4th Generation iPod Touch is up for grabs from all major (and minor retailers for that matter). The 8GB model will set you back by £189, the 16GB by £249 and the highest capacity 64GB model at £329, will really set you back. And even though this iPod is quite an incredible package, we feel it has a premium price tag. So, if you ask us if it is worth it? We would say that if you are thinking about an iPod Nano, then it is a no brainer that you stump up some extra cash for the Touch. Remember that just because the iPod touch cannot connect to mobile networks itself does not mean it cannot be used as a phone or to browse the web when you are not within range of your Wi-Fi network. As well as FaceTime, apps such as Skype enable you to make and receive calls, and if you are prepared to carry round a MiFi dongle (which turns a 3G signal into a Wi-Fi network), then you are no longer tied to fixed Wi-Fi. Certainly for occasional use, an iPod touch and a PAYG MiFi is far cheaper than buying the bottom-end iPhone 4 on PAYG.

Worth the upgrade?

Apple’s iPod Touch has come a long way since its debut in the year 2007, which was the year the company took a lot of pain to describe the device as a stripped down iPhone. The whole point of the so called fourth generation is to make some major upgrades both inside out. While the first gen Touch was thinner and simpler than an iPhone, but it lacked for enough hardware and software that users were supposed to covet on an expensive product.  Over the next two years, So, has Apple really made a difference with its fourth gen, or is it just for name sake? Let us analyze.

The major upgrade obviously is that of the processor The CPU portion is another ARM A8 that should make it up to 1GHz clock speed, provided it is not limited. On its own it might not make all the difference in the world, but considering the fact that the 3rd gen is under-clocked to 600MHz, it is a bigger step than it looks. Another big update is with the display, which has changed from     a 320 x 480 pixels LCD to a 960 x 640 pixels LED backlit Retina. Throw in the lower power drain and the IPS for a better viewing angle and it becomes the place where the 3rd gen owners will turn green with envy if they do not make the switch over. Connectivity wise, you might think that there is no big difference, except that the iPod touch 4th generation model now has the further reaching and faster n-wireless standard. Very nice for a bit of browsing at home, that is unless you already have an iPad. Both generations have the same GPU inside, so you will be able to enjoy some decent gaming power on either the old or new model, which is a sigh of relief for those looking to keep up with the apps on the 3rd gen. The difference here is that, with the better processor, the graphics unit on the new iPhone 4 is going to be more efficient and a little tighter but, essentially, you will get a similar performance. Another upgrade has to do with the cameras; the 3rd generation did not have any and the latest Touch has two of them.

Warranty:

The Apple iPod Touch 4th Gen comes with one year warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

The new iPod Touch is so much more than an everyday portable media player. It has a stunning display which complements the new, faster processor to make the use of iPod a breezy experience. We cannot help praising the speed at which you move around the iOS, browse the web or do anything on the iPod for that matter. The Face Time video calling and HD video recording are great additions. This HD camera is great to carry around in pocket for some spontaneous point and shoot footage and you will not go wrong in this respect. The Game Center is a great one stop social gaming portal. We did not have much to complain about the 4th gen Touch; the cameras are welcome, though the stills are not that great.  Comparing the Touch with other Apple products, we would say that is incredible value; Go for it.

Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation Media Player - Technical Specification Table

Synonymous with excellent design and good audio quality, the iPod brand, lets the 4GB Apple iPod Mini carry on the tradition. Its hard drive holds about 75 hours of music and has the same impressive graphic interface it’s elder sibling- the White iPod. The Scroll wheel has been improved to help navigate menus and music with a greater one handed ease. It is incredibly light and comes in 5 different colours and has a lower price tag than any other iPod product. It has features like the calendar, games and an option to create your own playlists. While it is not the best player in the market, it has a host of features, amazing design and great audio output. It is targeted towards consumers who want a flash memory based MP3 player and a lot of features for a reasonable price.

In the following review, we will discuss whether the iPod Mini is a viable choice to buy or not.

Design:

Body:
The Apple iPod Mini’s design surpasses even its older photogenic sibling. The iPod Mini, at 3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches, is larger than the Creative Nomad MuVo 2, but takes up lesser volume than any 4GB player. Weighing about 3.6 ounces, the mini feels like a small remote control and when slipped down in your pocket does not bother you with its presence.  It has a stylish anodized aluminium case, constructed by hollowing out Mini- aluminium tubes leaving it seem-less and painting the phone during anodisation process so that it cannot scratch off. It has a subtle and pleasant texture. The iPod is available in 5 colours: silver, gold, green, pink, and blue.

Display:
The mini’s display is smaller than a regular one – a 1.67 inches diagonal instead of the original 2 inches. However, the crispiness that the Mini provides makes up for the smaller size. The backlight lights up evenly and its brightness The Screen font used is no longer Chicago- the mini uses Espy. The Interface is similar to that of the regular iPod. In Brose Mode, one can see only the display song title and the artist name. Reasonable enough, thought we would have preferred more sophisticated display options-such as being able to alternate the artist’s name with the album title.

Keypad:
The iPod’s front button controls are reminiscent of the first 2 generation iPods. Below the display is a new scroll control with 4 push buttons embedded inside, saving a lot of space on the body.  Unlike the third generation iPods, the iPod mini’s click wheel cannot only be used to scroll through menus with great accuracy. Clicking on the mini a reliable tactile experience, press down too hard- and there is a risk of the mini misinterpreting a click as several together. The scroll wheel’s buttons double as “menu”,  ”rewind”, “forward” and “play/pause” buttons. The Click/Scroll wheel is much easier to use than the 3G iPods and allows you to perform complicated functions with great ease. This interface still has its limitations- the most obvious being, for navigating the interface involves scrolling from side to  side, neither the left or right button should be used. The top and the centre buttons are used instead. Confusing it might be, it does take some time to get used to.

On the top of the Apple iPod Mini is the hold switch, which locks all the functions, preventing accidental triggering of other controls. There is a headphone jack compatible with the iPod wire control. On the bottom is a dock port and is compatible with all other iPod dock products.

Accessories:

The iPod Mini MP3 Media Player is compatible with several independent add-ons with several new offerings, with most size-independent add-ons for the third-generation iPods. For example, the mini’s dock connector will fit any device designed to use the current iPods. An exposed slot at the bottom of the Mini attaches itself to a FireWire/USB b2.0 port or to a stereo. There is a belt clip included with a belt clip for listening to music on the go. Along with it, a pair of earphones and a dock connector is provided. The earphones provided are top-class and make listening to music simply even more enjoyable. There is an optional arm band and in-line remote available from Apple as well.

Set up and Installation of iPod Mini:

All you need to do to setup your iPod is make sure you have iTunes installed and plug in one end of your cables to your computer and the other onto the dock port on the bottom of the iPod Mini. iTunes will detect your iPod and ask you to provide a name for your device. Once named, the iPod can be synchronized with your music library. You can auto update iPod mini if you have lesser than 4 GB of music, otherwise you can manually fill your iPod by dragging and dropping tracks from your existing library.

Features:

Memory:
If you are looking for a flash memory based Mp3 Player, the iPod Mini is just the right thing.  The iPod Mini is available in 4 and 6GB capacities. That means about 1000 and 1600 songs (at 128kbps) respectively. If you have a small library of songs that you listen to, the 4GB model will suffice.

Charge and Sync using the Dock Connector:
When you sync the Mini to ITunes or later, the new playlist uploads to your PC/MAC and can be downloaded back to the Mini for later listening. The AutoSync Mode is another cool feature that sizes up your iPod’s storage space and creates a playlist that fits the capacity perfectly. That playlist would consist of songs one has rated highly or listened to more frequently. This is crucial as the 4GB Mini is smaller than most serious music collections. If you have already listed your favourite songs under iTunes, the first time you connect your iPod to the computer, all these songs get transferred to the Mini. To Charge your iPod, all you need to do is connect it your computer/laptop with the dock connector.

Menu:
There are several menus in the iPod Mini under the Main Menu. They are the Music Menu, Extras Menu, Settings Menu, and Now Playing Menu. There are the Backlight and the Shuffle Songs command along with them as well. Under the Music Menu are options that enable you to browse the details of songs on your iPod- playlists, artists, albums etc. There is an Audiobook option as well that enables you to listen to your favourite audiobooks. The Fore mentioned extras such as alarm clock, calendar etc are present under the Extra’s Menu. The Settings command enables you to configure various aspects of your iPod, such as, contrast, the clicker settings and the duration of backlight etc. The Now playing Menu appears only when you have selected a song to play. When chosen, it moves to the Now Playing Screen where the Song name, the Artists name, the Volume and other details can be accessed. There is a playlist function which lets you rate a song on a scale from 1 to 5 while it is playing. The Higher rated songs are played more frequently in the Shuffle mode.

Extras:
Along with the Mini, some pretty useful extras are provided. There is a alarm clock feature that allows you to play a song of your choice when connected to a stereo. There are 3 games included as well- Bricks, Parachute and Solitaire. The Music Quiz app tests you on how quick you can recognize songs from your collection. There is a contacts and calendar list as well, the latter can even sync with Outlook. There is an area provided to read text memos as well.

Audio Formats supported:
Sonically, the iPod Mini Flash MP3 Player is similar to the elder predecessor. In fact, one would hardly notice any difference in the audio between both of them. The iPod Mini supports the following formats- MP3, AAC/M4A, WAV, AIFF and Apple lossless. The spoken word Audible files can be purchased from the iTunes store. This software can resample songs to a certain bit rate, apply volume levelling and even digitally enhance songs while transferring them.

Performance:

The performance of the iPod Mini has improved to a certain level since the earlier version. The Interface is simpler and is easy to use. The Display is on the smaller side and yet nevertheless bright enough. All the functions can be accessed easily through the Menu.  The electronics responsible for sound reproduction used in the iPod are used in the Mini as well. Hence, one gets the same solid quality and loud maximum output. The earphones were good, but the Shure E3 c test headphones are better.

Transferring music is simple, the Go function allows us to sync with iTunes and the playlists can be downloaded. The Mini is compatible with USB 1.1 / USB 2.0 and FireWire connections. Over Fire Wire, songs transferred at 2.5 Mbps whereas on the USB 2.0, they synced at a whooping 6.3 Mbps.
Apple claims an anti skip protection of about 25minuted due to a 32 MB Flash buffer. However, like most hard drive based Mp3 players, the iPod is not suited for serious physical activity such as basketball etc. You can take it to the gym without worries; the optional armband would make it look even finer.

Battery Life:

The Apple iPod site claims that the battery of the iPod Mini 2nd Generation, when charged for 2-4 hours can last 18 whole hours on a single charge. This is just about the same as the Rio Carbon’s battery life and much better than the 12 hours the iPod. When tested, the iPod mini lasted 21 hours that is 3 hours more than what the site claimed. The Battery is non replaceable and lasts for a couple of years. If it goes kaput, you can purchase a new one from Apple.

Warranty:

The Apple iPod Mini 4GB, 6GB is covered under a warranty of one year from the date of purchase and any repairs can be done free of cost in the first 12 months.

Verdict:

Apple has designed the Mini keeping in mind people who want great features at a reasonable price.  The sleek new design, the user friendly interface, the amazing sound quality and the good battery life are amongst the top reasons for one to buy this. However, the Mini has its share of drawbacks as well. It lacks an FM Radio; there are no customizable EQs and a comparatively smaller display screen.  While these can be considered as Minor irritants and can be ignored. The lack of a replaceable battery is a serious flaw and will probably have an impact on the sales of the Mini as well.  One can neither download games to it either. However, it is a more improved version of the original iPod and works fine without many complaints. If you are a casual music lover and have a small library of songs, then the Apple iPod Mini 4GB is definitely a must buy.

Check the latest Apple iPod Touch Third Generation Review in our website.

Design:

Virtually the same:
For good or bad, the first ever thing that you will notice after unpacking the iPod Touch packing is that, the design remains unchanged from the 2nd generation model. We bet that you will not be able to make out any difference between both the models in just a couple of looks. Apart from the very negligible distinctions in the print at the rear of the device, the second gen model and the latest one are just the same as the other. If you have a look inside the casing, you will find that there had been a place for camera, which despite the photographic evidence to the contrary never made it to the final product, mainly as the last minute technical problems. There is no change in shape and dimensions either, between both the models and it remains to be (H x W x D) 4.3” x 2.4” x 0.33”. The glass display on the front of the model is flat with a curved steel backing, which feels natural and comfortable in hands, but is wobbly when placed in a flat surface.

That being said, the Touch is truly a delight to be held, debatably better than the iPhone itself particularly with its lithe form and amazingly delicious weight. It just has the right size to slip into the pocket of your jeans and almost forget that it is even there; a breathtaking feat of engineering.

Display and ports:

Just as in the case of its phone sibling, Apple iPhone, iTouch also has a glass covered crisp, pixel dense 3.5″ touch sensitive display of resolution 480 x 320 pixels and 3:2 aspect. Though the device sports a touch interface, few physical controls are inevitable and they include the hold switch on top of the device, a thin volume rocker on the left edge and a home button just below the display. On the part of the ports, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack as in the case of the previous models and also a universal dock port piercing through the otherwise seamless stretch of chrome steel that surrounds the rear and edges of the device.

Features:

The feature list of the iPod Touch goes on forever, and at the end of it, you will be confused if you are looking at a media player or a pocket PC. The feature list includes an awesome media player, video support that includes iTunes rentals and You Tube player, podcast support, a safari web browser, an integrated iTunes store for music and video downloads, an email reader that is attuned with Outlook, MobileMe, Exchange, Yahoo, Gmail, AOL or any of the POP e-mail services, an email reader and a swarm of miscellaneous applications which include clock, contacts, calculator, calendar, weather, maps, notes, stocks and voice memos. If you become efficient with the keyboard on the device, you will chuck out your pocket pc, if you own any.

Heart of the Touch:
Coming to the heart of the device, the CPU and the RAM have been designed to be on par with the iPhone 3GS, which is exactly why it packs a 833MHz ARM-Cortex 8 Processor that is under-clocked to 600MHz, in an effort to enhance the battery life.

A landmark in the Touch interface:
The touch screen interfaces are really a big challenge for the visually impaired consumers. But Apple has been kind enough to find a way out of this for these differently able personalities. By digging deep into the menus of the Touch, the users will be able to enable some special features like white and black reversal, home button triple click, screen zooming and mono audio together with the automatic text reader, which reads just about everything right from mails to a whole webpage. Let us not forget the voice over feature, which provides spoken feedback relating to menus or for that matter any item selected by touch with apps getting launched with a double click while in this mode. This is a great move forward on part of Apple and for the users who feel kind of left out of the apps and Touch experience. But the bad news here is that, the above discussed set of features is available only in the 32GB and 64GB versions of the Touch.

Capacities are all not the same:
The Apple iPod Touch 3rd generation is available in three capacities of 8GB, 32GB and 64GB. But all the members of this family are not treated equally as the 8GB model still runs on the 2nd  generation hardware and has a slower processor than what is employed in the 32GB and 64GB models. In addition to this, the 8GB model also lacks support for some of the new features introduced for the 3rd gen models like, Voice Control, OpenGL graphics support and even the advanced accessibility features. This is going to be a major disappointment for those who are planning on investing on an 8GB model of the iPod Touch owing to the fact that as already witnessed with the 1st Gen Touch any future updates in the firmware brings about features that is only supported by the latest hardware. The budget price tags of the 8GB model makes the device attractive to the prospective consumers, but keep in mind that the lower cost comes at the cost of performance and some attractive features. The common features in all the models are akin to the iPhone 3.1 features namely Genius mixes, Bluetooth audio and Voice memo recording.

Applications:
The Stocks application is just a starting point of the loads of applications that the Touch can offer you with version 3.1 of Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch software. The iTunes App store that is accessible from either your system or the device itself allows you to install and download heaps of applications with games, social networking tools, internet video players and voice recorders. If you feel that you need some extras than what the Touch already has, its capabilities can be enhanced using the third party iPod hardware frills such as the AV docks, speaker system and exterior battery packs.

iTunes:
If you own an Apple iPod or iPhone of any type, you must be well aware of the iTunes and its features. You will be able to preview, browse, purchase and download stuff from the new iTunes WiFi store and to take advantage of these facilities; you have to step on to an available WiFi internet connection. The store allows you to search by songs, albums or artists in iTunes music catalogue. Along with music, you also get TV shows, movies, music videos, audio books, iTunes U edifying content and podcasts. In order to do store purchases, you have to enter the password as a safety measure. As soon as the download is done, the content will be immediately available for your use and will get transferred to your system the next time you sync. The feature works without the slightest kinks and even episodic downloads comes back into action once the WiFi connection is re-established.

Genius playlist:
The Genius playlist is a feature that Apple first bought about in the second gen Touch; and this is the feature allows you to create an instant playlist of 25 songs that have their base on the musical features of one song. The Genius feature is available in this 3rd gen model too, entertaining you with a very simple and interesting manner of generating playlist if you have a good collection of songs to make fascinating connections. The Genius playlists can be created and saved in the Touch itself and this can also be done by regular syncing enabled in iTunes and just relocate them to your PC. So, you might be wondering if there were any improvements made with this feature, considering that it is in the latest model too. Well, yes! Apple has widened the capacity of the Genius selections by including App Store suggestions and comprehensive genre based playlists called as Genius mixes.

Genius in App store:
The Genius Apps will be available separately in the Genius tab of the App store and it has recommendations that are based on the earlier app purchases that you had made. The Genius mixes have a very intuitive location in the lower sub menu strip of the bottom of the iPod’s music menu, along with the selections for artists, songs, playlists, videos and more. If you like the shuffle feature of the Apple iPod and use it often, then you are going to like the Genius feature too and would enjoy the way the Genius Mixes feature a more surprising and genre specific selection of tunes with minimal effort. But if you are more intentional about the mood you are in and the kind of music that you would like to listen too, then there is always the “More” option where you can pick the menu items like podcasts, audio items and lots more.

However, an odd fact about the Genius and Mixes feature is that, it would refuse to work if the feature is not enabled in the iTunes software in the system. If you feel that this feature is too demanding of the resources of your system or even that it is too insidious of your privacy.

Voice Commands:
As if the touchscreen control of the iPod Touch is not futuristic enough, Apple has also included the ability to control playback with voice instructions. Activating this feature is easy with a simple press and hold of the headphone remote control button which pops out a voice control screen. Use the incorporated microphone from the included ear buds if you want to call out an album, song, playlist or artist and watch the iPod wonderfully interpreting your commands and play the track. The playback features like Shuffle, play, skip and pause can also be inhibited using voice commands. But we feel that this feature is simply unnecessary and just a gimmick. The earbud remote control is always available for you to perform these operations and performing these functions with voice control would make you look like a crazy person. However, one cool feature that we did love about the voice control is that, you will be able to steer in the Genius feature by calling out “Play more songs like this”, imagine the reaction of the person sitting next to you, who has no idea about the feature!

Voice command performance:
As far as the performance of the voice control, it was surprisingly precise when it comes to the basic commands like “Play”, “Shuffle”, “Next song” and so on. But as you must have expected, you will not get the same response when you try to call out artists names with funky spellings, for instance, you will never be able to call out P!NK to hear her smash hit “So what, I m still a rock star”. Overall, the Voice Control is just a fun feature to have around and a great one to show off to your friends. This feature could have been a great hit if Apple had devised it in such a way that it can be controlled while it is plugged into a car stereo aux input. Who knows? You might find it in the fourth generation Touch.

Nike + iPod:
Despite the changes that the 5th Gen iPod Nano which had included an integrated pedometer that calculates the users footsteps together with supporting the Nike + accessory named the Heart Rate Monitor (that was an as-yet-unannounced accessory), the new iPod Touch is devoid of both these features. All it can do is to link to Nike+ Sensor that tracks users movement as they run and the gadget can also be used together with Nike’s wireless remote control watches to aide with music playback control. Though it is not clear if the Heart Rate Monitor support would appear in the software update of Apple, it is certainly a very likely possibility. Additionally, looks like the iPod Touch offers support for various fitness apps (non-Nike) that offers more out of the box stuff in comparison to what the Nano had on offer.

Performance:

The interface:
Let us move on to the performance factors. When it comes to touch screen performance and menu stability, there are very few devices that can even think of competing with the iPhone and iPod Touch. In fact when we reviewed the first couple of models of the Touch, there were literally none to compete, however, now we do have some potential competitors with the design of the interface and speed of the touchscreen and they include Microsoft, Samsung and Sony.  And in order to preserve its dominance in the feature, Apple has made some serious efforts to push the speed fence.

Speed:
The third generation Touch is equipped with a new OpenGL graphics processing system with about fifty percent increase in processor power, load time and even the responsiveness of the games on this third gen Touch has been given a dramatic makeover. The 3rd gen Touch is only the second Apple pocket device to include hardware support for the OpenGL ES 2.0 which is the latest graphics technology that debuted in the iPhone 3GS. TThis hardware endows developers with the ability to make use of shaders that are programmable in an attempt to create far-reaching realistic and impressive visual effects than its predecessors or for that matter what even the first few iPhone models failed to generate. For instance, a game of Spore that took about fourteen seconds to load in the 2nd gen Touch took just 8 seconds in the latest model. If you love gaming, then the improvised speed and graphics will certainly please you; but as we had mentioned earlier, these enhancements are enjoyed only by the 32GB and 64GB versions of the Touch.

The undisclosed improvements:
Additionally, there are a handful of undisclosed hardware modifications in the new Apple  iPod Touch 3rd Generation that can or cannot be unlocked by the future software updates. But there is hearsay that the 802.11 Wi-Fi chip ticking inside the Touch is not just capable of the presently unlocked 802.11b and g wireless yardstick, but also the faster 802.11n standard. For consumers with the 802.11n only home networks would appreciate to stop maintain the much slower 802.11g friendly networks for the slower WiFi devices like Touch and for now, the ability of Touch to use the 802.11n networks has been locked. Yet another capability that has been kept locked by the hardware is FM radio’s capabilities of transmitting and receiving, meaning that Touch could plausibly be used as an FM radio receiver too akin to 5th Gen iPod Nano along with its capacity to wirelessly broadcast its own content to other FM radios or the car stereos radios. As we had mentioned, unfortunately, both the 802.11n and the FM transmitting and receiving features are not supported by the current iPod Touch system software (3.1.1). So, they will start working if and only Apple releases a software update for its Touch.

Audio quality:
Unfortunately Apple has failed to step up the game of the audio quality of the player and has left it simply standstill. You would find an armoury of sound improvement settings filled into MP3 players of some of the leading manufacturers like Samsung, Cowon and Sony; while Apple leaves the audio quality unchanged with just a marginally useful EQ presets list that has been included. Having said that, the audio quality of Touch cannot be said as bad though and the balanced and smooth nature of the device will be certainly liked by a lot of listeners. The disappointment will be stuck only to those who like fiddling with the audio controls.

Formats supported:
As in the case of all the other Apple iPods, the Touch offers playback support for AAC, MP3, with the inclusion of protected files, Audible, AIFF, WAV and Apple Lossless. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that apple still doesn’t support WMA files, but then there is always the option of converting the WMA tracks to MP3 that is within ithe Tunes software of Apple.

Bluetooth A2DP audio streaming:
One of the most long awaited features of the iPod was the stereo Bluetooth A2DP streaming feature, which has been included in the OS3.0 upgrade. With the help of this, pairing up of the iPod with the Bluetooth accessories like speaker systems, stereo headsets or the car stereo is pretty simple and the iPod also maintains a record of the earlier paired devices in the Settings menu. Not only do the music files get transmitted with ease via the Bluetooth, the audio from the Video and apps are also done with a great deal of ease.  It is just a little bit disappointing that Apple has not fully implemented the Bluetooth AVRCP control standard that allows to control remotely audio playback via other devices that is AVRCP compatible. Something really curios about the feature is that Apple has offered support for controls of Play and Pause over the AVRCP but the other vital controls like skip and volume have not been included. You will not be able to play with this feature all day because keeping the Bluetooth on is going to put a strain on the battery life of the device.

Video quality:
The iPod Touch is a great device to take with you if you are ever considering about video on the go. The Touch can be loaded loads of video podcasts, TV shows, iTunes movie rentals and the best part is that, you will be able to watch unlimited videos using the incorporated You Tube widget or even the other third party video apps. We have to point out the fact that the viewing angles were not as good as they were on the second gen model; however, there is a significant improvement to the colour balance and contrast. Hence, we can say that it has been made up. The colour balance seemed to be much cooler and natural and also looked less washed out at the higher ends of brightness settings.

Battery performance:

The battery performance of the Apple iPod Touch Third Gen has reduced from what was the case in the second generation Touch. And the reason for this is quite obvious; it is mainly since there is an amplified demand for a faster processor and even the addition of some of the latest technologies like Bluetooth. The music playback has come down from 36 hours to thirty hours and the video playback is steady at ix hours.

One strange, but great pleasure of all the Apple iPods is that, they arrive charged and ready to go. We have to admit that nothing can be compared to the frustration of having to wait 8 long hours before you can turn it on the gadget, let alone operate; the device that you bought with all that enthusiasm.

Inside the box:

The accessories that come along with the 8GB iPod Touch includes an Apple universal dock connector USB cable, one pair white ear plugs with an incorporated microphone and remote control together with a molded universal dock insert that comes in handy with charging or be used with any speaker accessories. So the difference is that, the earphones with “Remote and Mic” is new and is similar to the one that is packed along with the iPhone 3GS. Also included is a headphone plug shell made of hard plastic, which is kind of slippery and thin in contrast to its predecessors that came with a thick, soft, rubbery coating. Otherwise, there is no much change as they look, sound and work the same way providing 2 volume buttons, a multi function play, pause and track skip central button.

Warranty:

Apple offers its third generation iPod Touch one year standard manufacturer’s warranty.

Verdict:

The iPod Touch Second generation was one of the finest iPods that has been ever made and the only thing that was holding us back was that this model had weak storage capacity for the dollar. Apple has certainly fixed this with the reduction in prices and if you are asking us if you can should upgrade to the 3rd gen model, then our answer will be no, unless you are really looking for some performance upgrades, voice controls and the convenience features of the 64GB and 32GB models are very persuasive. But if you do not have any of those touch sensitive models of Apple, then you have to get one of these. You must also be conscious of the fact that if you are upgrading your MP3 player to iPod Touch from an older Mp3 player that has only the basic capabilities; you might be in a technological overkill. If you have simple needs and complex features like internet, email, and games all appear to be like overload, the iPod Nano will be a better choice.

The lack of a camera on Apple’s third-generation iPod touch is disappointing and will rightly make many people wait until the next update before splashing out their cash. But, for those who do not want or need an on-board camera, this version’s much faster processor helps make sure that it remains far and away the best portable media player currently on the market.

Apple iPod Touch 3rd Gen - Technical Specification Table

Having listed the array of new features that has been added to the latest 5th Generation iPod Nano, most of you out there would think that it is all enough for getting the new version, without any further elaboration. But you cannot actually leave it here; you will have to understand on how to use the model. Though the improvements in the casing, display and battery is not going to affect your knowledge about the player, you will have to know the details of the other new features of 5th Gen iPod Nano that has been added to the player to take full advantage of them.

In the following review, we will discuss the nano fifth generation as a whole and also about what has been changed with respect to its predecessor. At the end, we would like to make sure that our visitor can make a very well informed purchase or have a wait if they feel the performance is not worth an upgrade.

The cosmetic changes:

Apple iPod Nano fifth gen with Video Camera cannot be said to have got a complete cosmetic retread from the fifth generation, but is half true. In the past three years we have seen the nano models have dramatic changes in their design, but there is not a big change this time. The dimensions of the nano 5G is exactly the same as Nano 4G, measuring (H x W x D) 3.6” x 1.5” x 0.24” and weighs 1.28 ounces which is 0.2 ounces lesser than its predecessor’s weight. We get to see the same lifeless knife-like sides akin to its predecessor, although this time it is a bit smoother. This model comes in a variety of nine colours that includes the whole rainbow span along with black and silver.

Wider, Brighter and a Better Display:

We will be able to point out about five major changes that apple has done to the fifth generation nano model. The first one being the change in display, while the previous model had a 2” 320×240-resolution color LCD with LED backlighting, the 5G nano has a 2.2-inch, 376×240-resolution TFT display. This means a larger display, higher resolution and overall, a better quality of screen. The extra bit of screen extends further down to the nano’s face and adds the 56 pixels to the bottom. This extension can be handy for some additional lines of text, a wider presentation of video and for the black bars on the sides of some of the games.

The new display is much brighter than the prior one but is having a very slight pink tint when it is not at its peak. This makes it seem like the videos and games are rendered with dithering, which is a technique that is used to approximate the colours that cannot be naturally produced by a limited colour display. Hence, the video in the new model looks better than the ones in the previous versions. Some subtle shading has been improved especially in the darker scenes, it seems to be better than even the iPhone 3GS, but when it is viewed up close, the videos and games look grainier than the 4G nano.

Click Wheel’s Size Reduced:

Coming to the navigational click wheel, it is a step down from the fourth gen nano. Apple has been really playing with the size of the wheel for years now, by decreasing its diameter twice, and then increased and it has decreased in this model. This iPod Nano fifth Generation with Video Recording Model has the wheel size of the third generation model and as a result, it has got very less touchable area, posing difficulty for users with big fingers. They would tend to slip more often while scrolling or playing games. Though you might think that it is a very small change to worry about, some of the users will find it to be really annoying. Another thing to worry about is that, we hear that several Nanos come with fairly significant gaps off to the sides of the click wheel, most notably the yellow version. We do not know the exact reason for this, but there are greater than permissible gap tolerances in the latest model than its predecessor. Hence, be careful while purchasing one because, if you wind up with the wrong one, then you will have to fight with the dust and dirt that will be trying to get inside the iPod. The overall built quality is simply excellent.

Addition of Camera and Microphone:

The third major change is the addition of a chrome and glass video camera and a microphone plate on the iPod’s rear. We will see in detail about its performance later, but from a cosmetic point of view, with the addition of this tiny pill shaped plate to the bottom left of the casing, the user would need to learn an how the device should be held and used as a video and audio recorder. This learning process is in order to make sure that your fingers do not fall into the natural resting position on top of the panel. Here, Apple has not done an optimal job in positioning it and this is one of the things that Apple will have to change in the sixth generation model. A bit higher and a central position will surely solve the issue of fingers.

The ports swapped:

The next change is regarding the ports. The position of the dock connector and headphone, which it had been having for couple of years now, has been reversed. The headphone port is now on the bottom left of the device and the dock connector is on the bottom right. The only practical impact of this change is that, the users will have to have a look at the instruction manual to know how to seat the new model in its docks.

Changes in Texture and Tones:

The last, but one of the most significant changes are the colours and textures of the Nano 5G. All nine colours of the nano chrome are retained, but have been given a glossy finish and a slightly different metallic tone. The new body material is called as anodised aluminium which looks like a coat of automotive grade paint with a shiny texture. The rear engraving, top, bottom and click wheel, still have the matte finish. And unlike all the other glossy finished productions of Apple, this time it is come up with something that is really scratch resistant. Most of them got scratched with just a little force from your finger nail, but the new Nano fights back well and it feels as though some film has been applied on its surface.

As we had mentioned earlier, with the new glossy finish, there is a slight difference with the tones too. The tones of yellow, silver and black colours remain unchanged except for the glossy finish. The purple is very different, the new tone possesses a darker and is more of a bluish purple. The new blue is little bit stronger. The green has been completely changed, the then green colour is now having a pine tone. The orange colour tone looks more like a copper penny. The red is also a bit darker than the previous version. The pink too, like the green has been changed completely. The hot pink has been replaced by a rosy reddish tone. Guess that is all with the colours folks!

Capacities of the iPod Nano 5G:

The fifth generation Nano comes in 8GB/16GB capacities akin to its predecessors. Though the capacities remain to be the same, the latest nano carries the positive trend that we sensed in the fourth generation Nano. Synching with iTunes looks to be fairly rapid. But nothing seems to come anywhere near the transfer speeds of the  160GB iPod classic.

Interface Tweaks:

Coming to the interface, the Nano 5G Video Player and Recorder has retained the interface of its predecessor, with just a handful of changes. They look exactly the same, but then you get to see the extra bit with the display. One of the screens that had got a key change is the “Now Playing” screen that appears whenever you play music, audio podcasts or audio books. The album title, artist name and the song title has been moved from below the album art to a gradated black bar beneath the display. And this screen also has the current time displayed on it header. The font is also bolder, brighter and more legible. In the latest Nano 5G 8GB and 16GB, the album art is large and more prominent with the addition of an accelerometer that automatically takes the shape of a cover flow mode that is horizontal and scrolling whenever the device is turned onto its side. With the additional bit of screen you will be now able to view nine album covers at once rather than seven and twelve lines instead of ten. On most of the other screens, the extra space is either left empty or is filled by a continuation of the background. Though the tweaks made with the design of the interface are very minor, they have a good impact on an overall basis.

No changes with the three games collection:

As far as the games are concerned, you get the same three games that were designed for the third and fourth generation Nano. The games include Klondike, Maze and Vortex and they are all of the same version that was released previously.

The Radio feature in Nano 5G:

Not so long before Apple had been selling an accessory called the “iPod Radio Remote” together with an FM tuner with some of the Apple iPod models. But this 5th Gen Nano comes with an in-built radio tuner. This new software has got a better new background and the bottom of the screen has controls that are quite intuitive. You will find a “Live-Pause bar” representing a 15-min recording time. As long as you are in the same station, the Nano caches its contents so that you will be able to pause rewind and fast forward through the contents. The recording is erased once you change the stations. This is a very neat feature. Though it is not as well implemented as the True Radio recording accessory that was developed by Griffin for the older iPods, the one in Nano also does a good job and it is mainly to encourage you to more stuff via iTunes.

The integrated FM radio tuner works very well to tune in the local radio stations, which entirely depends on the pair of headphones that serve as an antenna. Though the static preset is low, the tuner is very easy to use and you will be allowed to mark your favourite stations. Once you disconnect the headphones, the radio application closes by itself. Apple has provided five radio regions that include America, Asia, Australia, Europe and Japan and you will be able to make a selection via the settings menu.

The major inclusions in depth:

As you must be clear by now, the inclusion of a 640×480 video camera, a speaker and microphone are the three major additional features of the fifth generation Nano. And these features together allow the device to be a standalone audio player without headphones. This dignity previously belonged only to the iPod Touch and the iPhone.

The video camera:

The camera functionality is very basic. Just hit on the central action button to start recording and press it again to stop. You can capture vertically or horizontally depending on the position of the Nano. On holding down the button, you get a list of display aided special effects that can be slowly scrolled though the click wheel. You are not provided with any focusing mechanism or zooming capability. This is totally unfair on part of Apple.

The lens, microphone and sensor that are used in Nano are the same as the ones that are in iPod Touch and iPhone 3G, but these features allow the Nano 5G to do most of the other iPods and iPhones were unable to do. That is, to create audio video recordings those are of good quality. Nano also boasts to be having a feature that even the iPhone 3GS does not have, that is, Apple has included about 16 different special effects that have the ability to create real time recordings with natural colours and some geometric distortions similar to Apple’s iChat and the Photo Booth Software. The special effects list along with Normal includes, Black and White, Thermal, X-Ray, Cyborg, Sepia, Kaleido, Security Cam, Mirror, Film Grain, Blur, Bulge, Motion, Dent, Twist, Light Tunnel, Twirl and Stretch.

In the normal recording mode, the recordings made are just good, but not excellent. The recordings are in unchangeable H.264 video format with stereo ACC format audio a 30fps. The nano will be able to record between 1.5 hours to 2 hours on a full battery charge and consumes just over one 1GB memory for every hour of recording. The special effects do not have a negative impact over the recording time. Here, nano poses a direct competition to devices such as the Flip camera. Though these dedicated cameras have a better quality of video, they are nowhere near as far as the special effects are concerned.

One of the main features related to video that has not been added to the nano is the ability to edit the video clip and you will not be able to change the settings of special effects in the middle of a recording. The iPod’s inability to take still pictures will certainly be a very bothering issue for most of the users. Overall, Nano 5G’s camera is not bad at all keeping in mind the size of the device.

The voice memo application in Nano 5G:

The voice memo application that was previously available in the Nano 4G has been carried over to the Nano 5th gen 8GB/16GB with a cosmetic overhaul by using the image of a mic of the olden days. The process of recording is just the same. All that you have to do is, press the central action button to start or add chapter markers and then just over the menu button to stop. The recordings can be labelled once they are done. Well, there is no keypad to type, but then you are given the following headings to choose from: lecture, podcast, idea, interview, memo and meeting. The recordings take the form of 128kbps stereo AAC files at 44.1Hkz requiring a recording space of maybe about a Megabyte per minute. The microphone offered is surprisingly good. They seem to be clearer than the one in iPhone. Hence, you need not get any of those inexpensive add-ons that were available with the Nano 4G.

Apple takes the Genius playlist experience a step further with the introduction of a novel feature called the Genius Mixes, which offers extended music playlists categorized around one common genre. In contrast to the Genius playlists, Mixes are seamless to create simply appearing on your iPod as an element of iTunes default syncing process. Then again, you might want be aware of the fact that if you choose to have iTunes set up to manually manage your iPod or prefer to set off the Genius feature of iTunes, you may forget Genius Mixes appearing on your Nano.

Video & Audio features of Apple iPod Nano Fifth Generation:

Apple has not done much when it comes to tweaking the video and audio features for several years. This time around, there were a lot of speculations that Apple will be bringing in a major change by way of support for hi-def video storage.

Video:
The HD video feature is an overdue feature for the Apple family, but this time too, Apple has spoiled the party by taking no efforts. Hence, this 5th Gen model too supports only two video file formats, the MPEG 4 and H.264. The videos are capped at a top resolution of 640×480 pixels. The lack of a wider range of format and resolution support remains to be one of the major drawbacks of the iPods. The video seen in the latest nano is much brighter than the one seen on its predecessor.

Audio:
Sonically, the Nano 5G comes out with flying colours. Apple has managed to completely eliminate the minor hissing sound coming from the amplifiers and hence creating a much cleaner audio that is as close to the audiophile quality as any other iPod. The Nano 5G sounds legitimately wonderful and so, we have no complaints. As you start listening to it, we are very certain that you will get lost in its music. Said that, the nano has got a number of advantages over the iPod Classic, for instance, the inclusion of an interesting setting that is optional named the Audio Crossfade, which enables tracks from various albums to merge into one another as against beginning and ending abruptly. Apple has also made it a point to include the spoken menus and voice over technologies. With the 5th Gen Media Player supporting audio formats like AAC, MP3, AIFF and Apple Lossless, the media transfer via the iTune software is just amazingly seamless.

Speaker:

The speaker is not that good. It is good enough for watching movies, but not for listening to music. The sound produced is louder than iPod Touch, but is more distorted and has lesser sound than the iPhones. The fullness in sound is completely missing. Being a free addition to the nano 5G, the speaker is just acceptable, but if you are really looking to enjoy music, then it is better to use a headphone or an external speaker.

Photo playback:

Apple has been making very minor tweaks to the photo playback in each of its models and the Nano 5G is not an exception. It has got one new feature called, the “Ken Burns Effect”. This effects pan and zoom in on the images in a very gentle manner as and when they are being displayed. It also reverts to a Cube effect transitioning from one image to another with a kind of 3D side-shifting cube appearance together with a Flip effect, even as it preserves the Push and Dissolve effects from its previous model. On the side of what has been removed from the model are, Slide, Fade Through Black, and Zoom. However, the ability to randomise the transitions has been retained. The pictures can be displayed both horizontally and vertically depending on the iPod’s accelerometer orientation.

Nike + iPod functionality:

The nano 5G video player  has got some substantial changes made on its Nike + iPod functionality. Being found under the new title called fitness, the new model has got anintegrated Pedometer that is capable of making an approximate count of the number of steps that you have taken, which is entirely based on your weight and motions that are observed during your movement. The feature also keeps track of the calories burnt and time consumed. Though it lacks the Nike+ voice prompting feature, it does allow you to listen to tracks as you walk along with keeping track of walking results along with coordinating with Nike’s server. You have to note that the pedometer is not accurate and its count was off by a handful of steps. You need not get any additional accessory for this feature. A little shoe icon appears next to the battery to let you know that it is working.

Miscellaneous extras:

Nothing has changed drastically in terms of additional Extras in the 5Th Gen Nano in terms of stopwatch, calendar, several integrated alarms, sleep timer, world clocks, contact synchronization, Screen lock feature and a app called Notes for text file display. Well there is this inclusion of 30 different languages translated for the menus by Apple, which includes right to left languages, majority of which are supported through VoiceOver.

What is inside the transparent case:

The latest Apple ipod nano 5Gcomes in the same clear plastic box, the only addition to the casing is an updated reference to iTunes 9 on its rear. The other accessories that come along with the player include the charging and synchronising USB cable, earphones and a dock adaptor. All the supplied accessories are same as that of the previous year except for some of the very minor upgrades. For instance, the case of the headphone plug is now thinner and made out of hard plastic rather than the soft one. The new number 18 dock adaptor is having a dock connector hole on its left side and the instruction booklet is obviously new, depicting the new features such as FM radio and video camera. For the TV output for video again, you have to buy a costly apple or third party video cables.

Impressive battery life:

The battery life of the battery certainly depends on a number of factors, but for the purpose of testing, we will keep a standard. With about 50% brightness and fifty percent volume through the headphones, the nano has an average video life of five hours and fifteen minutes. This is about 20 minutes higher than the last year’s model. In terms of playback life for non-speaker audio playback, it exceeds the 24-hour estimate promised by Apple considerably. With volume on 50% and very minimal interaction, the nano 4G runs for 31 hrs and 5G managed to given an extra 90 minutes. The FM radio application with the live pause turned on, it affects the battery life considerably. But overall, the battery life of Nano 5G has been very impressive.

Warranty:

Apple offers iPod Nano 5G one year limited warranty for parts and labour.

A Happy price tag:

Apple has done a great job by reducing the price of the Nano 5G considerably. The latest version boasts of the same capabilities akin to the Nano 4G with a pricing that is considerably less in comparison to its predecessor. And the price tag on it keeps it as one of the best selling iPods in the market.

Verdict:

The Apple iPod Nano fifth generation has been packed to the grills with great features like a very slim form factor, audio- video features, FM radio, Genius Mix, a better display and a built in speaker.

It is very hard not to be carried away by all the new features of Nano especially its video camera. If you possess some older iPods and just waiting for an upgrade, the Nano 5G is simply the best deal. But you must also keep in mind that there is very little cost difference between the Nano and Touch and this will put you in a deep dilemma. Here we are, to make things simple for you. All that you have to do is, decide between Nano’s slim design, FM radio, pedometer, and video camera and the Touch’s touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and its App capabilities. In our words, Apple iPod Nano 5G is the “Most Attractive IPod Ever”.

Apple iPod Nano 5G (8GB/16GB) - Technical Specifications, Features

In the year 2007, Apple released a model of the three categories, the Classic, Nano and Touch. The first generation Touch was nothing but an iPhone without the phone capability. The Apple iPod touch 16GB second generation was released in the year 2008 with the inclusion of a lot of new features and also has boosted the capacity and accordingly the price tags too. In the following review, we cover all the key changes that had been made to the model and all the other details that you would ever need to know about iPod Touch 16GB second generation.

Reason for the downfall of the 1st generation Touch and the emergence of the 2nd generation Touch:

The first generation gadget was a landmark in itself that it brought about the 802.11b/g wireless antenna, browsing with the safari web browser, audio as well as video compatibility, and even purchase music from the iTunes store. However this fell short due to cost and lack of storage capacity, besides inadequate battery life and display glitches.  All these led to only an average success to the phone as the users of iPhones and high capacity iPods ditched it. The fact that is even more surprising is that, even the CEO, Steve Jobs of Apple described the first gen Touch as the “Training wheels of the iPhone” just after a few days after its release.

Apparently, understanding the fact that the Touch did not meet the initial sales expectations, Apple started giving out software upgrades that were left out from the iPhone for a cost. Again this created some controversy as the new phones that were shipped had the upgraded features in it for no extra cost. However, having the new upgrades pre-installed, had more customers flowing in for Apple. Even though software updates had been made, it seemed to be not enough and overpriced when compared with that of the iPhone which came with more features and double the capacity for the same cost. All these led to the emergence of the second generation iPod Touch with some substantial amount of changes, of course on the better side. The second generation iPod Touch comes in three capacities 8GB, 16GB and 32GB.

Design tweaks made:

Coming to the design, the second generation’s iPod Touch looks slimmer and lighter than that of the first generation Touch. You will witness a few design changes that affects the device only in a positive manner. It has a chrome front bezel and also sports an internal speaker as well as a black left mounted volume control as in the case of the iPhone. In the other cases, you get the same 3.5″ display with a resolution of 480×320 pixels. The viewing angle of the iPod has been improved a lot. The physical controls include the home button in the front, sleep or wake button on the top of the device, dock connector and the headphone port in the bottom. All of the physical controls can be found virtually in the same places where they were in the original touch. Apple has added another feature for which it definitely receives the praise for, the inclusion of an external microphone.

Same smudge prone metal polish:

Something that we had expecting to change but has not changed is the back side of the iPod which still sports the scratch attractive polished metal. We had mentioned earlier that the new iPod look slimmer, as that is true, it just looks slimmer, it is actually not thin. The design just creates an illusion that it is thin as, in fact, it is half a millimeter thicker than the original, having its dimensions as, 2.4 in x 0.3 in x 4.3 in (W X D X H) inches. It has soft edges that wraps around the chrome bezel, which is a design that makes the device feel better in your hands.

Antenna and speaker:

The manner in which Apple has managed to integrate the speaker is the one that has to be discussed. Unlike the iPhone which as special perforations for all its speakers, the Touch has no vents at all. You might have guessed that the speaker breaths through the bottom dock connector or the headphone ports. If you had thought so, then you are wrong as, even when they are blocked, then can still be heard. The speaker performs like a NXT flat panel design that radiates through the device’s metal back surface and the bottom parts too. One thing that we did not like about the design that had been carried over from its predecessor is the WiFi antenna cover which is still made of black plastic, making it look a bit odd from the rear.

Multi-touch capability:

Getting to the best part of the Touch, the most prominent feature – its multi-touch capability. You cannot help but get excited about how intuitively it has been conceived. There is yet a player to match this multi touch capability of the 2nd Generation Touch. There is a lot of eye for detail along with amazing reaction time. But yes, we will have to agree that some of the web based applications may take some time to react. With all of the icons being aptly labeled, it makes it a cakewalk for a most novice user. Mobile safari seems to be a fab. Cover flow aides in browsing through the album arts. Both YouTube and the BBC iPlayer are far better viewable in comparison to the rival players in the market.

Install iTunes 8 or latter:

As in the case of the iPods that are sold for over a couple of years, you need to have the iTunes software to start using the device. This software, as most of must be aware of, does not come with the iPod. You will have to download it from the Apple’s website for free. iTunes 8 or later is the media synchronisation software that is required by the 2nd Gen Touch 16GB.

Genius software:

Genius software is a new feature that creates a play list of 25 songs having the characteristics of the song that you have currently selected. This software is real fun and you can enjoy to your best if your collection has enough songs. But this software will work only if you enable Genius in your computer’s iTunes software.

Nike + iPod Sport Kit:

The support for the Nike + iPod Sport Kit is an surprising addition. It is a miniature speaker that allows the users to enjoy music, games and videos without the need for a headphone and a support of a microphone. All these three features are extremely thrilling and is of great use for the users. They have very minimal caveats though. Apple has included a special chip which is usually used for Bluetooth functionality, that has been customized especially for establishing communication directly and only to the shoe mounted Nike + iPod sensor. The apparent support for the wireless remote controls like the Amp + watch is absent. These controls aid in pausing, adjusting the volume and even in changing of the controls as and when you run. The omission of these controls means that you will have to make use of the physical controls of the iPod Touch MP3 Video Player directly to access these changes, creating some kind of inconvenience. Apple also enables you to hit the Home button in the middle of a workout to use other applications, placing a “Touch to Return to Workout” bar near the top of the screen which has a number that indicates your workout’s progress.

Difference in interface:

This feature is available in the iPod Nano also, but here, the interface is a bit different. The main screen has tabs in the bottom of the screen that indicates your past workouts and history. The icons displayed are, time, distance, calorie and calibration options. There is also a separate settings screen that can be seen beneath the settings that allows you to manipulate the Nike icon. Using those settings, you can select a power song, pair the sensor and even lock the on-screen displays into horizontal or vertical, whichever you prefer. A plus symbol can be seen between the play and the battery icons available in the upper right corner of the screen which will indicate your connection with the Nike + sensor. Having said all these, this interface seems to be better than that of the interface of the fourth generation Nano, yet, we would have loved to see the streamlined design and the remote compatibility with some more of flashier graphics.

External speaker:

With the external speaker offered, you cannot expect an audiophile quality. It is always better if you carry your headphones along with you for listening to music. Though the quality of the speaker is not even up to the level of that of the original iPhone if not the iPhone 3G, you have to remember that this is the first ever iPod to include a speaker for music as well as video. With the external speaker, that uses a system similar to that of the NXT flat panel audio system, very slight vibration can be felt when the volume is kept at the maximum, but at the lower volumes, the vibration is not evident at all. The overall volume is just half of that of the iPhone 3G and having a less bass body, you cannot expect for a phenomenal listening experience. If you have any idea of using the Touch as an WiFi speaker phone, Forget it! This new iPod Touch 16GB Media Player has the ability to work with external microphones.

Compatibility:

The audio in iPod Touch is very clear. It has the support for the following audio types, AAC, AIFF, MP3, Audible, WAV, and Apple Lossless.  But, even now apple has not included support for WMA music files, yet the WMA tracks can be converted to MP3 formats within Apple’s iTunes software. The video formats supported include H.264 video, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio; H.264 video, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.0; Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio, MPEG-4 video.

It was disappointing to note that the Touch still does not support the flash audio or video content via its safari browser. There is a lot of attention paid to even very small details. You can use your finger to scroll through the playlists, songs, artists etc. When you flip the iPod touch on its side, a scrolling Cover Flow view of your library is shown with large album covers.

Video performance:

The display performance is pretty good, being vibrant, bright and colourful with an impressive onscreen keyboard too. Touch sure does know how to astonish users with its amazing ability to determine always the letter that you jab for.

Packaging:

Some changes can also seen with the packaging of the Touch. Unlike the first gen touch which had a deluxe cardboard packaging, the second gent touch has the transparent plastic case packing as in the case of the Nano and the Touch. But, one thing that is interesting about the new plastic casing is that, though it is translucent, it has a sticker in front of it, that shows you how the device’s screen will look like once it is turned on. The package contents of the new touch is almost the same as that of the old one, but there is a slight downfall with the quantity and quality. It has the usual pair of Apple headphones, USB to dock connector cable, a new version 16 Universal Dock Adaptor and a thinner and cheaper feeling cleaning cloth. One thing that Apple has omitted in the package is the small plastic stand that holds the touch at a recline angle for viewing video. The package would have been much solid if Apple had included the stand. The documents included in the package are, a safety and warranty booklet, a colour quick start pamphlet and you also get two Apple Logo stickers.

Battery life:

Akin to its predecessors this second Gen iPod Touch also has the lithium ion battery ticking inside. Looks like Apple has decided to do a slight upgrading of battery life from its previous 22hours of music and 5hours of video playback to 36 hours of audio and six hours of video. Though this is the number that is provided in the specification table, when tested in real time, the touch gave a couple of hours more than what is actually specified. This playback capacity will vary based on the brightness of the screen and the Wi-Fi usage.

Warranty:

This 2nd generation iPod Touch 16GB comes with one year manufacturers warranty.

Verdict:

Apple iPod Touch second generation 16GB Portable Media Player is one of the best iPods in the current market. If you are planning to buy one, then this would be a great choice for you. But if you already own the first generation touch or an iPhone, then this may not impress you much with only upgrades in display and battery life. This Black Colour second gen Touch has retained the storage capacity of the iPod while decreasing the price substantially. Boasting of almost everything that would be required like video, podcasts, audio, Nike+ iPod, mailing, games, browsing, Wi-Fi track downloads and the App store, putting the features and cost together, it sure seem reasonable along with being attractive.

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Apple iPod Touch 2G Black - Specifications, Features

The following review is on the Apple’s ipod shuffle 1GB second generation. Obviously, there had been a previous version that was released in the year 2006, however, the 2nd generation shuffle does not differ much from its predecessor.

Tiny design:

When it comes to the design, which is the seller point of ipod shuffle, it is extremely small. It has a dimension of just 1.1 X 1.6 X 0.4 (H X W X D) inches and weighs just 15 grams. The fifty percent of the overall depth of this player is contributed by the slip that has been incorporated that allows you to clip the player simply anywhere. The durability of the clip  is questioned by users and the answer is, it proved to be strong on testing. This little delight’s body is made of anodised aluminium which give a grainy look and comes in six attractive selection of metallic colours.

Need a display?

The 1GB iPod shuffle does not have a display and actually does not need one. I glanced through a few user reviews who complained about the absence of a display which is totally not fair. This small wonder was designed keeping in the mind the people who want to listen to music who are busy with some other thing such as jogging or workout who do not want to care on what is being actually played. If you really cannot do without a display, there are a range of other options that are available in the market such as the iPod Nano.

Simple user interface:

Ipod shuffle 1GB second generation not only has a simple design but simple controls too with a simple user-interface. The front control pad is designed in a self descriptive way that you can use it straight away without glancing at the start guide. The circular pad’s circumference had the volume control and the next and back selections and the center of the pad has the play/pause control, all of these which are indicated with their respected universally understood symbols. The side of the player has two switches, one is the shuffle switch which has two modes. The continuous mode plays the music in the order in which it was loaded and the other is the shuffle mode where the player shuffles the play list for you. The other is the power switch which as you guessed is to switch the unit on or off.

Placed just next to the power switch is a LED that displays the current status of the MP3 player. The LED lights up on different colour combinations such as red, orange and green and sequences. The function cards that comes along with the player gives you a clear idea on what each colour of blinking sequence means.

The other side of the Apple iPod does not contain any real control except for a headphone jack which also acts as the main dock connection. The standard of the earphone provided is exceptionally good and is over qualified for standard usage. But the non-standard USB syncing questions the plug and go appeal.

The audio quality:

The audio quality of Apple ipod shuffle 1GB is nothing less than excellent. Though the equalizer settings cannot be changed directly on the player, it can be done directly on the stored songs in the player. Certain earphones do not deal well with the over boosted bass settings but the shuffle’s ear buds did handle it well.

The music management:

In order to load music, the case is same as any other Apple ipod that is, you have to download the iTunes feature of apple. For an unit that is as simple as shuffle, the need of iTunes is quiet an over-skill for the basic operations of uploading and removing tunes. The iTunes has the auto-fill option that allows you to automatically replace your content with music from your iTunes library or play lists. Similar to the other ipods, shuffle also supports the audio formats such as MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible and both forms of ACC files. As the heading indicates, it has one Giga Byte of memory which will be sufficient to store 200 to 250 songs.

Packing and accessories included:

When it comes to packing, Apple as always, has used its minimalist approach. The clear plastic case gives a great first impression. The paper work in the package includes a quick start guide, 2 feature cards for your quick references which will be very handy for you when you are in the initial stage of using it, warranty and  a card with two apple logos. The accessories include the earphones and a cute little syncing cradle that is used for charging. If you are not comfortable charging with the dock, there other chargers that are available in the market that suit Apple ipod Shuffle.

Battery life and advantageous handling:

Coming to the battery life, iPod Shuffle 1GB from Apple has in its pocket an incredible twelve hours. The robustness of the product must be mentioned. Most of the MP3 players with LCD displays have their weak point as the screen itself which demands delicate handling. With that need being removed, shuffle gains yet another credit, that is the power to withstand accidents and rough handling.

A great gift:

Ipod shuffle 1GB is really a great gift to your fitness freak friends  as they can bid goodbye to those heavy MP3 players that they have to carry which makes them uncomfortable most of the times. Apple has made sure that you can find the product almost everywhere and hence locating this ipod must not be a problem but you might have confusions with selection of the colour as it comes in six bright colours such as silver, red, orange, purple, green and blue.

A few final words:

On the whole there is not really that can be said negative about the shuffle as it does everything that it was intended to. With a great battery life and a capacity of 200-250 songs per load, for anything that includes mobility, this is a great product. But stop, if you are a person who is prone to misplace things, that there is a high probability the you might misplace shuffle too considering its size.

You can also check iPod Shuffle 4GB Review, iPod Shuffle 2GB Review in our website.

Apple iPod Shuffle 1GB  - Technical Specification Table

Apple had made a great turnaround in the history of musical players by creating the utmost quality performer and yet miniscule in size. The third generation iPod shuffle which has a capacity of 4GB appears to be half the size of your thumb or smaller than an AA battery. The two amazing features of this iPod among many other specialities are that it is relatively small in size and it is the first talking musical player too.

UNBELIEVABLY SMALL

In creating this extremely small sized iPod, Apple had made for sure that the technology should not be compromised. The controls had been shifted to the cord of the ear bud wherein it is easy to operate and be blown over with all the music to be thrown out of it. This stylish, tiny and yet slimmest iPod Shuffle from Apple is definitely going to stir a lot of sensation in the world of music and music lovers.

Sensational Highlights of iPod Shuffle 4GB

CONTROLS: It is essential to mention that the controls had been shifted to the right ear bud cord and that has given a lot of extra space that could help in reduction of size. It is located just in the right place where it could be accessed quite easily and is its strategic position is place conveniently, navigation of music playlists is you can very well say is just a child’s play. And even more important is the activation of VoiceOver which could be done without the need to take your eyes off from what ever that you are doing.

MUSIC LIBRARY: The storage capacity of the Apple iPod shuffle is 4GB Flash memory. This naturally allows room for all the extras that had been previously shunned with a limited storage feature in other musical devices.

This Apple 3G iPod Shuffle 4GB now can be loaded up to a maximum of 1000 songs and still there is enough room in organizing your multiple playlists.

FASHIONABLY TECHNIFIED: Take a close look towards the appearance of this device and all the pain that had been taken in the manufacturing of this iPod, it would be clearly evident that even the Shuffle Clip had received a royal brush up. It is now made of sleekly forged stainless steel with a clip that can be easily tagged to your shirt or about anywhere around you. This iPod shuffle 4GB comes in both silver and black colours that are regal and yet modern. There is also the durable aluminium casing which is anodized which also makes enough space for any interesting personal engravings wanting to be done with. This casing gives the iPod a fashionable and rich presentation to carry with.

EXCITING VOICEOVER

The VoiceOver is a major stepping stone in the making of the iPod and that’s how Shuffle becomes a unique iPod. This exciting new feature is very remarkable and rolls out the way you have been interacting with your music and playlist so far. All this is done without any hitch and this is a once again a surprise all together.

The VoiceOver is the unique feature that makes iPod Shuffle to be the first iPod or music player that would be talking back to you. It has changed browsing and navigating patterns and just pressing a button would enhance the VoiceOver feature and the title or the name of the artist would be announced to you. The name of the playlist can also be heard of and multiple playlists could be created. One would be totally taken aback when you hear an announcement about your low battery and the need for charging it up.

The VoiceOver Kit is generated after iTunes going through the song details as it is the iTunes that seamlessly syncs with the iPod and makes the Shuffle talk and say the right announcements about the title of the songs or the playlists or about the artists.

It all actually depends on the type of PC that is being used to sync the iPod Shuffle. If it is a Mac OS X Tiger or Leopard you can hear the perfectly English Voice which is built in.

Multilingual VoiceOver is even more amazing as the iPod has enough language recognizers and settings in it. What it exactly does is that when you are going to have a playlist which is totally multilingual, the VoiceOver recognizes the language and makes the announcement in that language only. Be it French or Spanish or English and to be exact VoiceOver has 14 languages that are built-in for recognition and speaking to. You can also change the announcement to a different language other than the language of the song.

The languages are the Chinese, the Dutch, the Czech, the English, the French, the German, the Greek, the Italian, the Japanese, the Polish, the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Swedish and the Turkish.

Operating the VoiceOver is made easy with the shuffle switch being able to shift in 3 positions. When flipped to the left, there is a total shuffling of your music and it starts playing out in random. When it is shifted to the middle, the music starts to play in the set order and it just goes down to off when it is moved to the right side.

Keep informed that the song capacity is exactly based on the format in which it is transferred. You can have about a 1000 songs at 4 minutes/song in the 128 Kpbs AAC encoding and if it is in the 256-Kpbs format it is reduced to its half of about only 500 songs. So the capacity definitely varies with the method of encoding and the bit rate.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUISITES

The 4GB Capacity New iPod Shuffle Media Player is best operating in a temperature of 0° to 35° C or 32° to 95° F. When not in use it would be best kept in a temperature of about -20° to 45° C or a -4° to 113° F. There is also the relative humidity which the device can take up to and it is of about a noncondensing 5% to 95%. It works better at a maximum altitude of 3000m or 10,000 feet.

STORAGE

The storage capacity of this iPod Shuffle from Apple is of about 4GB flash drive memory. It can store up to a maximum of 1000 songs in 128-Kpbs AAC format. It is able to store the data through a USB flash drive.

AUDIO FEATURES

The 4GB iPod Shuffle promotes a skip-free playback which means that you don’t have the facility to skip a song in between. The frequency response of the audio is 20Hz to 20,000Hz.

The audio formats that are supported by this small-sized iPod player are the AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, ), Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF, Protected AAC (from iTunes Store).

ECO FRIENDLY

This talking iPod musical player is embodied with the manufacturer’s policy of environmental safety. It is supported with a brominated flame retardant free and it is also PVC free. There is the very much recyclable casing of aluminium enclosure and it happens to be conveniently smaller in size. It is about 33% lighter in weight and 40% smaller in size.

HEADPHONES

The headphones of this metal cased iPod come with a remote and have a frequency of 20Hz to 20,000Hz and an impedance of 32 ohms.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

This VoiceOver featured iPod entertains both the Mac and the Windows. If the iPod is synced with the Mac system, then it should be supported by a Mac computer with a USB port of 2.0 version, Mac OS X with a version of 10.4.11 or of a later one, and should be loaded with iTunes 8.1 or a later one, and a Broadband internet access to it.

If it is synced with Windows then it is a PC with USB port 2.0, the OS being Windows Vista or the Windows XP Professional with a Service Pack 3 or later version or Home Edition. It should also have the software for iTunes 8.1 or a later one, and a Broadband internet access to it.

SOFTWARE

The Third Generation iPod shuffle 4GB MP3 Player has a free download of the iTunes to it and also allows you to download your own music, self-managing the media library, and features to sync your iPod or iPhone easily to it.

INPUT AND OUTPUT

The only input and output that could be found in this iPod is a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack.

NAVIGATION

The navigation of playing options and type of songs is made through the earphones with remote and the VoiceOver feature.

BATTERY

The battery is made of a built-in rechargeable lithium polymer battery. It has a playback time of up to 10 hours when it is totally recharged. It can be fully recharged within 3 hours and can achieve about 80% charge when put in a 2-hour fast charge.

ACCESSORIES

The Smallest 4GB iPod shuffle with Voiceover features in its packing has the additional Apple earphones with remote but no mic to it. It also has an iPod Shuffle USB cable to it with a Quick start up guide in its box.

iPod Shuffle 4GB Music Player - Technical Specifications, Features

PRODUCT OVERLOOK

Apple has once again come down with its own style and bash through its iPod Nano with 16GB capacity Fourth Generation music and games device. The iPod Nano 4G comes in an array of 9 dazzling and attractive colours. It had altered its design resembling to its original models when compared to the square and broad 3G model and appears to be sleek and stylish.

This new iPod Nano 4G sports a new tool for creating the Genius playlist with a tilting sensor and the font size of the menu has been improvised for the visually-impaired person. On the other hand, it is most needed to upgrade your device to the company’s iTunes 8.0 version software. It could be undoubtedly said that this iPod Nano is extremely good in its user-interface and software features and the pricing is also reasonable.

PRODUCT MAKE AND APPEARANCE

Apple iPod Nano 4th Generation with its hi-tech appearance is unbelievably light-weighted and extremely slender in design. It is built-in a seamless metal finish with a curved edge to its design. The entire device in its finished quality is very comfortable with its long and tapering body to hold in the palm. The curving of the glass screen has got more resilience and fights back to keep from scratches. The viewing features of the iPod has not deterred with the glossiness or the reflective nature of the lush glass screen.

As far as the external buttons and controls go, there is a hold switch and a click wheel for easy manipulation.

Inspite of alterations in its design, the dimensions of the 4G iPod Nano MP3/MP4 Player has not changed and so the viewing quality remains the same. It is one of the largest small screens and thinnest iPod. It measures about 3.5 inches in height and 1.6 inches in width with a 0.25 inch thickness. It has a display of 2″ LCD screen, sized diagonally with a blue and white LED backlight and a one-inch scrolling wheel control option. The dock and headphones can be connected from the bottom of the device and the sliding-hold switch is once again located on the top of the 4G Nano.

For the comfort of the visually impaired the Apple has increased the font of the text in the menu to a certain level and has made a setting in its fonts. This appears good and legible even for the others with a 20/20 vision. The user interface had undergone a major change compared to its older versions

The album art of the music playback is now full screen by default settings with a more fancy view of the Cover Flow. Now you can view it in an alphabetical for easy selection when you flip through your choices.

PRODUCT FEATURES

The most important and highlighted special features of the iPod Nano 4G Video Player is the creation of a new Genius playlist, the tilt sensor for shuffling you music choice, the application for voice recording and the synthesized voice option for the visually impaired to read their text. Let’s see in detail about these features.

Although the iPod Nano 16gb has retained almost all the major features from its earlier model like music, podcast playback, video options and photos, calendar, alarms contacts, the gaming features, note-making or the clock facility; it also has evolved with some of its unique qualities of its own (check the features, reviews about Apple iPod Nano 8gb). These features make the Nano 4G compulsive on the buying range to the consumers and poses good threat to its competitors.

First of its specialities, is the instant Genius playlist which allows you to make your own 25 songs included in it. It’s usage is very easy. All it takes is select one of your favourite song and press hard on the “Start Genius button” in the menu and hold it until it enables. Then the result is all fun. This play list collection could be transferred to the PC and heard if the iTunes’ Genius feature has been enabled. Sometimes one may find it disturbing of privacy because the Apple may be reported with your choice of musical habits.

The LCD screen with a high resolution is contrast adjustable and has backlight options which make reading in soft lightings much easier.

Second is the interesting “tilt-sensor” of the Apple’s iPod Nano. This 4G iPod has a good trick up its sleeves. When tilted and given a hard shake the music player shifts itself to the shuffle mode and plays a random selection of songs from the available playlist. If needed to be deactivated it could be just done by holding the switch for shake to shuffle from the setting menu of the iPod.

This tilt-sensor also activates the Cover Flow music of the Nano 4G when the device is turned to its sides. The playback of the video can also be changed to the direction you turn the screen.

Thirdly, Apple had made voice recordings pretty easy on the Nano 4G. It has made allowance for a headphone jack with a microphone input. Only reservation is that headsets compatible to the Apple only has to be used. The earphones that come with the device remain unchanged and do not have a built-in microphone to it.

The last but not the least is the speciality of the iPod’s capacity in incorporating a new feature for the visually impaired. With the help of the synthesized voice found in the device and by enabling it, these users can hear the entire menu, the necessary selections and other playback information read by the synthesized voice feature. This could be done with the help of the iTunes. A large font sized menu settings makes a good alternative for easy reading.

AUDIO FEATURES

The audio of the Nano 16gb 4G is pretty much the same as its predecessors. There is nothing beyond the original or traditional settings. Apple does nothing to complicate the sound quality or does not enhance the sound settings. Even if there is no richness in the audio there is always a balance in the treble and bass. It certainly sounds good to the ears.

The supported audio formats of this fourth generation iPod are the MP3, WAV files, AIFF, Audible files, AAC which include protected files and Apple Lossless files. Even if the device does not favour WMA music, it could easily be converted to MP3 with the help of the software from iTunes.

With the 16GB flash drive, this fourth generation iPod Nano is able to store about 4000 songs and a maximum of 14,000 images which are iPod viewable.

VIDEO FEATURES

The fourth generation iPod Nano 16gb with its multi-coloured selection has a good 2-inch LCD screen. It provides both the portrait and landscape mode of viewing. It has a maximum resolution to its screen with a 320 x 240 pixels with featured 204 pixels per inch. The almost curved or rounded glass screen of the iPod gives a bit of glaring but still the picture quality is extremely good in brightness and clarity. Like all the other portable video playbacks, this also require specific file format. The compatible video formats are the H264, the MPEG4 video format in the MP4 or MOV or M4 file format with a picture resolution of 640×480. When videos are played, there is a caption which is displayed in a clear and legible, white and black contrast font.

This keeps in its hold about 16 hours of video and stores all of its data through a USB flash drive.

LANGUAGE FEATURES

The device is multi-lingual and supports a variety of languages at its user interface. The most important languages are the English, the Russian, the Czech, the Danish, the Dutch, the Finnish, the French, the German, the Greek, the Hungarian, the Italian, the Japanese, the Korean, the Norwegian, the Polish, the Portuguese, the Simplified Chinese, the Spanish, the Swedish, the Traditional Chinese, and the Turkish.

Others which give additional support for the display of songs, the albums and also about the artist info are the Bulgarian, the Romanian, the Serbian, the Slovak, the Slovenian, the Ukrainian, the Thai and the Vietnamese languages.

PACKAGE DETAILS

The Packed Box of the Apple iPod Nano 4G comes with the device, a pair of earphones, a USB cable of 2.0 version, one Dock adapter and a guide for Quick Start.

There is a dock connector and a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack as an input and output accessory.

POWER AND BATTERY FEATURES

The battery which is used for this iPod Nano 4G device is a rechargeable one of lithium ion and is a built-in one. It holds a music playback time of about 24 hours and a video playback of 4 hours. This iPod can be easily charged through the USB connected to the computer or via a power adapter which could be purchased separately. It takes about 1 ½ hours to charge to 80% of the battery as fast charging and about 3 hours for a complete charging of the battery.

OPTIMAL TEMPERATURES FOR USE

This 4G iPod is best operated under a temperature variation between a 32° to 95° F or 0° to 35° C. There is also a non operating temperature instruction for this and the variation is between -4° to 113° F or -20° to 45° C.

The relative humidity under which this device could be used is a non-condensing 5% to 95% and the operating altitude is to a maximum of 3000 m or 10,000 feet.

Apple iPod Nano 16GB 4th Generation - Technical Specification Table

The 80GB fifth generation of Apple iPod classic has reduced dramatically in its cost and now, you can get the iPod with double the capacity and similar features which is available in both black and silver. The nano and this model of classic has a lot of features in common such as, thumbnail artwork of the albums, podcasts in list views, the extensive information provided while viewing the list of songs and albums, cover flow view, the games such as Vortex, Klondike, and iQuiz and a number of other miscellaneous features.

Design changes:

Body:
The apple iPod Classic is redesigned in a beautiful manner featuring a sleek and an all new metal enclosure. The glossy and the all-plastic facade that was seen in the previous versions of Apple iPods is replaced by the anodized aluminium faceplate. The 2.5 inch LCD colour display is big and bright. This screen can be set to the brightness mode when you are in a dark room. However, the screen is again made out of the scratch prone plastic unlike the screen of the iPhone and Touch and the chrome back still begging smudges.

The size of this iPod is 2.4 x 4.1 x 4.1 inches which is just a fraction thinner than the 30GB version of the iPod Nano. The larger click wheel that is designed in this product makes it extremely simple to operate it, particularly if you want to operate it single handedly. The click wheel is very handy as, with the help of the wheel alone, you can adjust the volume, choose songs with playlist, artist, album, song, genere and composer. The controls seem to be sluggish and unresponsive at times.

Menu:
The most impressive design improvement in this Ipod Classic 160 gb is that of the menu system. It has a split screen main menu that displays the selections on the right half of the screen and a picture related to the selection in the left half of the screen. The result is quite beautiful.

Memory:

As we all know, the Classic is not of the flash memory type. The hard drive memory type does not deliver the data as fast as the flash memory does. This is the reason why Nano responds faster to your commands as it is of the flash memory type.

Features:

With 6th generation 160gb iPod Classic, you can put your entire music and video collection with whooping 160GB of storage. The videos can be bought from iTunes online store or import them into iTunes which can be converted for playback. Many of the video features that we look forward in the portable video players can be got with iPod classic sixth generation. It also offers you a dependable feature of resuming playback at the point at which you last left off. The closed caption subtitles can now be switched on or off for the videos which support them.

With such interesting features, it is very easy for us to miss some of the subtle but cute change made to Classic. For instance, when it comes to the shuffle feature, Apple has now made it very simple to engage and disengage this function on the fly with just a few clicks on the click wheel’s center button.

If you love reading books, then you are going to love this set too as the iTunes store is stocked with thousands of audio books along with the bookmark function.

Classic has an enhanced interface that offers a new way to browse and view your music video. The cover flow technology allows you to use the patented click wheel in order to flip through the music by album cover.

Supported formats:

The support for audio and video playback, photos, podcasts and video games remain virtually unchanged. It supports playback H.264 or MPEG-4 in MOV, MP4 or M4V file formats. These are played with a maximum resolution of 640×480 pixels at 30fps. The audio file formats supported remains the same. It supports Protected AAC, Audible 3, WAV, MP3 VBR, Audible 2, AIFF, MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless and Audible 4 formats.

The manual adding and deleting of audio and video files is possible without the hassles of playlist syncing. You also have options to view your photos. They can also be viewed as slideshows with background music which would make your photo viewing an enjoyable experience.

Some of the other useful extras of Apple iPod Classic 160gb Black, Silver include calendars, contacts and clocks.

The left out features:

Since Apple iPod classic is a top tier product, we would have appreciated some additional features like the ability to use the headphone jack as a composite video output that the photos and videos to be played in TV without the help of any third party interface. This also includes the long neglected list of apple such as FM, SD memory expansion, native support for WMA etc.

Performance:

Though the interface improvements are pleasing, the audio performance does not give you the same result. The sound quality can be said as just an average one. You get to choose from over 20 equalization presets. As a contrast to the audio quality, the video quality of iPod classic sixth generation is excellent. It is capable of playing files at 640×480 and by purchasing an additional component AV cable, you can get outputs of resolutions of up to 480p to a TV.

Battery life, accessories and warranty:

Apart from the increased capacity and improved interface, Apple 16gb 6th Gen iPod Classic’s battery life stands as one of the strong reasons on why you should be investing on it. It promises 40 hours of audio and 7 hours of video.

The most worrying fact is that it is incompatible with most of the existing dock-connector accessories and the previously purchased games cannot be used. The items included in the box are, earbuds, dock connector cable, dock adapter, quick start guide and the Apple stickers that come with each of apple’s products.

Apple iPod Classic 160GB sixth generation(Sivler, Black Colour) comes with a warranty of one year.

Verdict:
It is one of the rich looking high capacity MP3 player in the market and if capacity is your prime concern, you will surely not find a better product in the market. The production of apple is avowed all over the world. Though it does not produce the novelty of iPod touch or nano, this version of iPod Classic is certainly worth buying.

Apple iPod Classic 160GB (6th Gen) - Technical Specifications, Features