Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
San Francisco - Apple revised most of its iPod line yesterday at the iPhone launch event. The iPod Classic remains unchanged, the iPod Shuffle gets new colours and the iPod nano and iPod Touch get complete overhauls.
The iPod line hasn't been as prominent in recent times and sales have slowed down but Apple seems focused on making the line more compelling in terms of new features and functionality. I spent some time with the iPod nano and iPod Touch during the brief hands-on session teeming with press and media.
Personally, I was surprised that Apple completely redesigned the iPod nano (it is their most redesigned product ever). People seemed to really take to the square form factor and the geek-cred that came with using it as a watch. There was even a thriving ecosystem of straps and add-ons. That said, the new iPod nano is quite intriguing.
The thinner, larger iPod nano mirrors the iPhone and iPod Touch with a home button and now has a larger screen capable of displaying six faux app icons. I say faux apps because the nano isn't tied in to the App Store and will likely only use proprietary apps that can only be updated by Apple through system updates.
The nano is thin and light and now has added features. The 2.5-inch screen is multi-touch and was likely included for video playback. The more ways one can consume iTunes content, the better. The new nano also sports the new Lightning connector dock which is standard across all iPod and iOS devices going forward. The hassle is you will need to pay for an adaptor to use the new devices with your old speaker docks and peripherals. Bluetooth connectivity is now built in and makes it possible to connect to speakers, wireless headphones and car stereos that support this feature.
I found the iPod nano to be responsive, intuitive and lightweight. Some users might miss the integrated clip of the previous version which made it easy to secure the device to belts and clothing. This is still the media playback device for runners and gym rats who want an unobtrusive media player.
More impressive was the new iPod Touch which is essentially an iPhone without the phone. Exceedingly thin, the iPod Touch now comes with an aluminum rear case in various colours marking the departure from the scratch-prone stainless steel that has been with the line since the beginning. The 4-inch Retina Display is just as resplendent and bright as it is on the iPhone.
The iPod Touch inherits the 5 megapixel camera of the iPhone 4 which Apple is now calling an iSight camera. This turns the iPod Touch into a viable point-and-shoot camera specially with all the apps already available in iOS.
I found he camera to be quick and responsive, photo quality even in the dimly lit room was admirable. I'd expect that it would take good to great photos in better lighting conditions. The new Loop accessory, which cleverly latches on to a recessed button in the rear even makes it feel like a camera with a strap. The device might look delicate because of its thinness but it is reasonably sturdy.
The beauty of the iPod Touch is that it can be Apple's Sony PSVita killer (it has the processor of the latest iPad) since it is far more compact yet similarly capable of playing complex video games. It can also be Apple's point-and-shoot camera, way smarter than many standalone models that don't have an app ecosystem or high-speed WiFi built in. The iPod Touch is a good example of how the technology from the iPhone line trickles down quickly to Apple's consumer technology products. The lack of various radios and cellular antennas makes it possible to design such a thin device for users who aren't interested in the phone and mobile data aspect.