Apple iPod Nano – Tinier, touch support, but not so touching
Nano is Apple’s answer to a really compact PMP but , with a display. Apple along with refreshing the iPod touch has also given Nano a makeover and made it even more compact (surprisingly).The new nano has shrunk to a tiny dimension and it has to be one of the smallest PMP’s around with a colour display. The click wheel of the old nano is no longer there and the elongated shape is also gone.The device is completely dominated by the display which has a large bezel and the only other thing in the device are the buttons on top.
The display incorporates a capacitive touchscreen and shares a single slice of glass with the bezel making it look larger than it is when it is switched off. However , once switched on , it looks a lot tinier. Some people might argue that the display(1.54 inches diagonally ) is too small to be used as a touch interface , but after using it , we tend to disagree.
The Nano has an anodised glossy finish and a compact and stylishly designed aluminium enclosure. Apple retains the hot colours it is famous for – silver , black , green , girly pink , smoky blue and mustard yellow.
LOOK AND FEEL
The Nano is sleeker and tinier than the earlier model and feels very sturdy , with the aluminium on the body. The display is small but the menu interface is quite simple and using touch interface to accomplish things is much better than using the click wheel. The menu system consists of four icons per screen, sliding to your right displays the next set of options and sliding to the previous menu. Due to the tiny display , video playback is no longer offered although it still supports photos. The camera has also been dropped.
The 240x240 pixels resolution display does look sharp on a per pixel level but it is apparent that the LCD is not a very good performing one. The contrast is pretty weak and the colours aren’t too great either.
The Nano is super small and fits easily into your pocket. It will be appreciated by joggers , who want a small device to keep themselves entertained. People who travel often would also love it as it is not at all bulky and can store a lot of music and photos. Apple , feels that owing to its small size , videophiles will stay away from the device.
There are three matter chrome finished buttons on top of the device – an on/off cum start button and two volume buttons. These buttons are hard and due to their small size ,are not very easy to use. At the bottom of the device there is a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The new Nano is available in 8GB and 16GB variants and has an FM radio support and an inbuilt pedometer other than the usual set of features Apple has.
PERFORMANCE
First and foremost the Nano will be rated on its audio quality. On the whole , Apple gets everything right but Nano is not an audiophile level device by any means. For the first time Apple seems to have deviated from the path of audio quality.
The Nano was tested using its default earphones and a set of Sound Magic PL11s, and our supra-aural Grado RS1i.The volume level was a lot lower than the previous iPod’s and alarmingly even lower than the volume of new Touch. We could gather that by making the devise slimmer and lighter , a lower capacity battery was also incorporated. Thus , for a better battery performance , Apple had clearly sacrificed volume levels and therefore , the ability to properly drive the earphones.
The new Nano is also bassier than before and moves further away from the neutral tone. Bass remains reasonably tight and is not vague but the bass notes lack detail making them all sound the same. The bass is looser than the bass on the touch. The mid-range has a slightly euphoric colouration to it, that lends vocals more depth and body than they might otherwise have. The problem is, the mid-range seems slightly buried as if vocals and guitars are coming from a few metres behind the bass or one is listening to the singer singing behind a curtain.
While , the older iPod Touch could drive the RS1i well , the Nano touch ,even at maximum volume levels couldn’t produce decent bass. Guitar tones seem slightly soft and over rich. Though this is good for Blues and acoustic music , it is not good for Rock and metal where distortion and long riffs loose their crackle.
The volume level of new Nano touch is about 10% lower than the new iPod touch , thereby making it about 20% lower than the older iPod Touch. Another killjoy is the slightly non neutral presentation. There are a number of ways to colour sound but a source is not a good idea. On the whole , the Nano does have better audio quality than most PMP’s available in this price segment in the market , but it is not as good as is expected from Apple.
It has a fast interface but USB transfers are slower than on the touch. Photo viewing experience on the Nano is fairly unsatisfactory, given the display size. The FM radio , however is a definite plus.
CONCLUSION
After looking at the price tag i.e Rs10700 for 8GB and Rs 12700 for 16GB , we feel that the larger capacity Nano is better value for money. You get a good sounding PMP , a tiny touchscreen and a large memory. Though , we are bothered about the low volume levels as it represents a fall in the levels of performance that we associate with Apple products. Another thing worth mentioning is that the iPod touch 8Gb is available for similar price and must be considered. However , it serves its intended audience (joggers, commuters etc) well.
Specifications
Display: 1.54-inches, 240x240 pixels, capacitive-touch; storage: 8/16GB; weight: 21 grams
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