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The redesign of the iPod nano has drawn plenty of criticism. Its detractors call it chubby, squat, and awkward looking. We certainly had our reservations, but in the hand, the latest nano makes the second-generation nano look like a skyscraper.
The nano measures a petite 69.8mm long, 52.3mm wide, and 6.5mm thick--a significant shift from its once long and skinny shape, though it is essentially the same thickness. Matte, anodized aluminum graces the faceplate, as with the previous generation of nanos and now the iPod Classic as well. The back and sides of the nano, however, mimic the Video iPod's rounded, glossy, smudge-prone chrome enclosure. On the bottom edge of the nano, you'll find the iPod's proprietary USB port, along with the headphone jack and the hold switch, which prevents you from accidentally triggering the player's buttons. nano keeps Apple's ubiquitous Click Wheel design, although the nano's new Click Wheel is smaller in diameter--it's only 1 inch--than the previous nano's 1.25 inches. The much skinnier touch strip may frustrate users accustomed to the 1.5-inch wheel of the Video iPod and the iPod Classic.
The nano's most dramatic design change is, of course, its larger, brighter screen. The 2-inch color screen packs a dense, crisp 320x240 video resolution that looks richer and brighter than that of any iPod to date. It's not often that we deem a screen smaller than 2.5 inches worthy of video playback, but with a tightly packed 204 pixels per inch, the nano looks incredibly sharp. Unlike the Apple iPhone or the iPod Touch, however, the nano's screen is covered with a scratch-prone plastic that will quickly show wear.
The Cover Flow mode on the iPod nano is a little slow, but it's a beautiful touch.
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