New nanos get raised edges for scratch protection?

For the moment this stays in the rumor column (that's what that question mark up there in the title is for), since there's no official word from Apple, but it looks like the latest iPod nanos have a slight redesign: a raised edge or lip designed to make the player harder to scratch. According to reports, this has been confirmed by numerous customers and by Apple Genius Bar staff. And the picture on the right does appear to show a slight ridge, which doesn't appear in any earlier nano pics (or in the pics on Apple's site). We won't be surprised if this is indeed an attempt to make the nano less scratch-prone -- or if Apple never says a word about it, since the company hasn't exactly been very forthcoming about the scratching issue in the first place.

Update: As you'll see in the Comments, iLounge now has reason to believe that this is probably "either a fraud, a manufacturing oddity in some subset of units, or something that does not exist in the brand new 1GB unit we have here." So, we'll keep this in the rumor column (and wait for more definitive info before moving it into the fraud one).

[Noone @ Feb 12th 2006 1:12PM]

That looks rank

[7of7 @ Feb 12th 2006 1:13PM]

Wow, that thing looks even worse than they did before. Now not only is it going to be scratched up and smudged up, it also has that stupid looking raised edge. Due yourself a favor and get a Zen Sleek.

[pableu @ Feb 12th 2006 1:21PM]

They could just use better material instead ;)

[Dan @ Feb 12th 2006 1:25PM]

Really just stupid. I mean my Ipod gets scratches from being kept in the otherwise empty pocket of my polar fleece jacket. Nothing they're going to do about that with a raised lip, they're just shooting themselves in the other foot by making their product look stupid.

[Shade @ Feb 12th 2006 1:34PM]

Are you sure that it isn't just a protective film or layer of plastic that should be removed? I doubt Apple would mar the appearance of the iPod with such poor implementation.

[Echo_ @ Feb 12th 2006 1:38PM]

looks like a plastic film engadget

[whisky @ Feb 12th 2006 1:42PM]

I just got the iPod Nano yesterday the new 1 gig and I don't see a lip on it.

[Boognish @ Feb 12th 2006 1:43PM]

I can't believe all the whining here.
There are plenty of MP3 players out there that work just fine. If you don't like the apple products don't buy one.
I personally have and love my 60gb iPod photo 4G scratches and all.
My only regret is buying it shortly before the 5G video came out.

[Eli @ Feb 12th 2006 1:44PM]

That's hideous.

Fortunately it's probably a photo of a Nano knockoff.

[jbstingray @ Feb 12th 2006 1:46PM]

I have a 4GB nano and when I put a screen protector on, there was a bubble running all around the outside of it. This was becasue of this so called 'ridge'. You don't really notice it unless you are really looking hard for it, and asthetically, it makes no difference.

[dalton @ Feb 12th 2006 1:46PM]

I'm a bit annoyed, because I ordered a 1GB Nano and a set of Crystal Film for it the day it was announced. The Nano should be here tomorrow. If this proves to be true, the Crystal Film won't fit and I'll have to send it back, and wait to get another kind of case (which will add bulk and won't be what I want) before I use the device. I'm sure as hell not carrying that thing around naked after all the negative remarks I've heard about the scratchability of the black Nano.

[iomatic @ Feb 12th 2006 1:47PM]

JFC on a pogo stick.

Will the whining ever end? This low-end griping is just out of control. Numerous analogies to cars being scratched due to wear and tear come to mind. Does it affect playback? "Do" yourself a favor, sell your nano, or get a case, or get something else, but please, stop your bitching about a sub-$150 product and get your diapers changed.

Kids today. Sheesh. Spend your money on an education instead.

[Echo_ @ Feb 12th 2006 1:47PM]

if you notice the "lip" isnt even straight so its most likely a clear sticker to protect it

engadget look at your stuff before you start shit

[Morose @ Feb 12th 2006 1:50PM]

I'm not that familiar with the gadget industry, but I want to raise the question: Does Apple get any kind of royalties or kickbacks or something from all those third-party ipod-covering manufacturers? Not that this would be the main cause of the Nano's scratchability - that is more attributable to the kind of plastic used to keep it tiny/thin/lightweight, and I agree that a switch to a different kind of plastic would do much more to preserve the appearance of the Nano for longer.

the plastic on the 4th-gen ipods seems durable enough. it can accumulate lots of tiny abrasions visible only under the right light rather quickly, but i switched to a more softly-lined ipod case to resolve that before it god bad. what irks me is the way the back panel gets discolored and smudged up so quickly.

[G-ZUS @ Feb 12th 2006 1:51PM]

This is clearly a fake. First of all, how is a slightly raised edge going to help keep it from getting scratched? Second, the picture looks like the protective film that ships with the iPod.

http://musobs.blogspot.com/

[Echo_ @ Feb 12th 2006 1:52PM]

jesus guys look

the "lip" isnt even straight

its obvious its a sticker

[Kevin @ Feb 12th 2006 2:04PM]

i read the digg story, and read the comments on the board link too.

Just to clarify:

^^that picture is of the NANO WITH RAISED EDGE + A FILM SCREEN that the user put on it

that's why you guys are saying it looks gross, its because the screen doesnt fit right, and slopes over air pockets around this lip thing.

[David @ Feb 12th 2006 2:20PM]

I doubt this is true, first off all, apple is known for good design, and this does certainly not qualify for good design at all.

also this is NO solution to the scratch problem, which they should have addressed long ago by replacing it with better material.

[joel @ Feb 12th 2006 2:24PM]

I don't believe this. People want some new Apple news so badly that a shitty picture of some smudged up nano is suddenly the new iPod nano with a lip to keep it from getting scratched. GET A LIFE!!!

I like Apple and Mac but I don't go reaching for rumors like this.

[Jon @ Feb 12th 2006 2:32PM]

Yah, I have a nano I just got recently, and it has the raised edge. But actually, it doesn't look too much different, actually a little bit better.

[Jon H @ Feb 12th 2006 2:47PM]

"First of all, how is a slightly raised edge going to help keep it from getting scratched?"

By lifting the rest of it off the surface it's sitting on. So if it slides across your desk, the only contact surface will probably be the raised lip, and only the lip will be scratched.

Obviously, the lip won't help in all cases - it won't help if the Nano is in your pocket with your keys. But it'll help.

[Jeremy Horwitz @ Feb 12th 2006 2:59PM]

We really appreciate the link to our forums - thanks. But we've checked the unit we reviewed and there is no apparent lip in the plastic, or other plastic difference between this and our earlier 2GB and 4GB units. The claim is either a fraud, a manufacturing oddity in some subset of units, or something that does not exist in the brand new 1GB unit we have here. As noted in our review, however, and previously linked on Engadget, the new one definitely has a slightly different screen.

Jeremy Horwitz, Editor-in-Chief, iLounge

[Echo_ @ Feb 12th 2006 3:07PM]

told ya so

btw this claim was posted by someone wtih 1 post on ilounge adding to the fraud claim

[Pong Generation @ Feb 12th 2006 3:48PM]

This sounds like a typical Apple "solution" to a known problem,spend as little as humanly possible trying to fix an obvious defect & then try to sell us on an "improved" model.Just like that cheap ass "case" they started including that probably cost them 1/2 a cent.

When will they realize that if they actually give the consumer what they really want like a anodized aluminum casing,user replaceable battery(it costs like $59 to get a new one when it won't hold a charge any longer)& the ability to use other music services than I-tunes they would not only dominate the market even more but also sell millions more than they already do.I just don't like their marketing at all,they make a product that uses sub par materials assuming we won't mind paying extra for accessories(& necessities like a protective case)when they just could've made it better in the first place instead of rushing things to market w/o the proper time to research.They also assume that we'll all rush out & buy the next"new & improved" model automaticly.I'm sorry, I WON'T buy a DAP every few months,products should at least last a few years.If some of the Korean companies can make less expensive phones & DAP's etc w/o all the problems then so can Apple.

Why not have a anodized aluminum case & a flip design like a cell phone to protect itself?They could incorporate a simple metal slide cover to view the screen so you wouldn't have to flip it open to see the info.

What are they going to do if Samsung or Toshiba comes out with a flash unit with more storage & is superior to the Nand unit their using now?Their Gestapo marketing won't look so attractive then will it? Already we're seeing Korean units with more features. They'd better smarten up before their castle crumbles.

[Andy C. @ Feb 12th 2006 4:08PM]

Pong Generation, you're too funny! Why don't you apply for a design position at Apple if you think you can design a better nano. As for Apple trying to build a product that people want, I think it's quite obvious they are already doing that, otherwise they wouldn't have 70%+ share of the DAP market.

Why isn't everyone bitching about how easy it is to scratch a cell phone? People buy cases for their cell phone to protect it, why is the iPod nano any different? If you want to keep your iPod scratch free, buy a case for it. Simple as that. If you don't want to, then accept the fact that plastic and stainless steel scratch or don't buy an iPod. My watches get scratched (even the titanium one), my eyeglasses and sunglasses get scratched, my cell phone gets scratched, my Palm T3 and TX get scratched, my Canon digital cameras got scratched and my notebook computer gets scratched. Why do people somehow expect the iPod to be immune to scratches?!? I know why, because they are STUPID.

[joel @ Feb 12th 2006 4:21PM]

just look at the label for the play/pause button...

[David @ Feb 12th 2006 4:44PM]

Just get a case or some protective film covering. Geez, why would anyone not get a case for your iPod?!

[Jeremy Horwitz @ Feb 12th 2006 5:41PM]

As a brief response to the new Update above, iLounge (the publication) has never said otherwise. The story above was based upon a post in our discussion forums.

If you have a nano, new or old, and want to understand what all the (um) fuss is about, find an light source with a pattern of some sort - a grid in overhead lighting, sunlight with tree silhouettes as shadows, etc. Then slowly rock the nano back and forth in the light until you see how the light reflects off of its clear plastic face. You'll notice an ever-so-slight curvature at the nano's sides; the face plastic is not 100% flat. This isn't a "lip," and to the extent that it's on old and new nanos, it won't be protecting much.

[Michael @ Feb 12th 2006 6:08PM]

There are new pictures in the iLounge thread. It's the REAL DEAL. Check the link.

http://home.comcast.net/~flashback87/nano1.jpg

[francisc varga @ Feb 12th 2006 6:44PM]

i own a 1gb nano in black there is no lip on it,you guys are blind what i see on that picture is an invisible protective shield.i love my nano.
i tell you guys lately everybody want's to sue apple because they are the greatest.

[QUOW @ Feb 12th 2006 6:55PM]

Why the hell are pictures of my Nano showing up all over the place?! It feels like it's a manufacturing oddity. I love how people grab a picture and run with it nowadays as a "rumor." Shut up already.

[nojok3 @ Feb 12th 2006 7:52PM]

It is kind of funny how you buy an ipod and Apple tells you to buy a case. I plan on getting an iPod video and will probably get a black skin with it but Apple's scheme works fine. Believe what you want, but everyone who gets an iPod now believes they NEED a case for it or it will scratch (like it does). Apple is smart :/

[Genius @ Feb 12th 2006 8:26PM]

if everyone hates how much it scratches and everyone knows this......why is it still the number one seller in north america?????? Cause no one really cares they just want the prestige of owning one.

[joel @ Feb 12th 2006 10:27PM]

THERE IS NO LIP!!!

How many idiots are there on this site??? Every reputable website has said this isn't true but you continue to believe this joke.

[kyle @ Feb 12th 2006 10:35PM]

check out the link on #27, is it just me or doesn that seem like a very crappy photoshope job.

[Chris @ Feb 12th 2006 10:50PM]

Maybe because most cell phones are not nearly as scratchable as the iPod. I have a candybar style Audiovox smartphoen and the plastic screen is exteremely scratchproof in comparison to my 3G iPod and my wife's nano. It has barely a scratch on it after more than a year of heavy use with no case.

"Why isn't everyone bitching about how easy it is to scratch a cell phone? People buy cases for their cell phone to protect it, why is the iPod nano any different?"

[nojok3 @ Feb 12th 2006 11:16PM]

I have had candy phones and flip phones. The only scratches I have gotten are on the screen itself, and those can be prevented just by using a screen sticker very easily. Only if you throw your cell phone down on the ground will you get scratches on it, in most cases

[nojok3 @ Feb 12th 2006 11:19PM]

I thought this photograph was photoshopped too, #33...check out the top left of the nano, along the side and you can see a shade outside the actual object. The picture is real that he is holding, but I think he either PS'd the curved part or has a screen on it.

[Desides @ Feb 13th 2006 12:33AM]

"30. It is kind of funny how you buy an ipod and Apple tells you to buy a case."

It's also funny how Apple includes cases with iPods now.

It's also funny how ignorant the Apple-bashers are. Well, that's why they bash Apple.

[BWY @ Feb 13th 2006 12:59AM]

You're right, 33. That is a crappy PhotoShop job. If you fall for that trick, you're a moron.

[ght @ Feb 13th 2006 1:30AM]

apple is selling a lifestyle. i have lots of mac fanboy friends. we gab about this a lot. its not a lot different than bmw. the only reason you would buy a bmw, is if you want specifically a bmw. not that you want a car that is practical in any way shape or form, but you want a blow a bunch of money on a 'beamer'. or specifically in the ipods case - i dont think most people that buy ipods realize that there are things that do the exact same thing for less money. you can even still use itunes! (which i also find repulsive)

its like that andre aggassi commercial for the canon camera in the 90s: "imagae is everything".

i like listening to music in my car. and an enjoyable listening experience an overpriced mp3 player via an fm modulator does NOT make. that is sorta like watching only vhs tapes on a hdtv. not that cds arent dumbed down as well (most music is recorded at a much higher bit/sample rate), but i record lots of music - and i have no use for an ipod.

consequently, if i did want an mp3 player, i would probably get one of the ones that cost the same as any model of ipod - but mysteriously has more storage space. and mysteriously acts more as just a drive that you transfer files on and off of easily. and myseriously acts much less like a proprietary boob.

and for the people that say "then why does everyone buy one" or something similar - i would just point you in the direction of the television show 'american idol' that "everyone" watches...

[Jordan (flashbackz) AUTHOR of ilounge article @ Feb 13th 2006 2:02AM]

I WROTE THE ARTICLE ON ILOUNGE

I want to clear up a few things... the photo engadget has posted DOES have the "crystal film" on it... as you can see, the film will not cling to the parts where the surface slightly "dips" in.....

so first off, LOOK AT THE ARTICLE AND PLEASE REPLACE THE PHOTO ON HERE WITH THE ONES I TOOK WITHOUT THE SKIN ON!
https://home.comcast.net/~flashback87/nano1.jpg
https://home.comcast.net/~flashback87/nano2.jpg
https://home.comcast.net/~flashback87/nano3.jpg


I by no means meant to state this as a definite change... This is the SECOND 1gb nano i'm on now and they have both had this "problem" or "design change" or whatever it really is, the guy at teh genius bar made it sound like this was a new deal for the ipod 1gbs, i have no idea if he was lying or not

We will not know about this for sure until more people with 1gb nanos(there aren't many yet i guess) post up how theirs are.

[Andy B @ Feb 13th 2006 2:21AM]

I got my Nano a few months ago, within a few days, sure it had a couple of scratches that wouldn't have been prevented if there was a ridge or not, bottom line, it still plays music, who cares what it looks like. It beats a big bulky CD player.

[Chris L @ Feb 13th 2006 3:31AM]

#33 and #36, it is obviously not photoshopped. Look at his other pictures:

https://home.comcast.net/~flashback87/nano1.jpg
https://home.comcast.net/~flashback87/nano2.jpg
https://home.comcast.net/~flashback87/nano3.jpg

#36, it isn't a "shade of the object" it's the clear plastic that is on the outside of the Nano, duh. If you've actually used one, you would realize that.

#38 - Please show me an MP3 player that offers dynamic playlist updating on the device, podcast support with chapters, contact management, a calendar and todo list. Oh yeah and greater than 60GB. I do not believe there are any other MP3 players larger than 60gb, if so please provide a link.

As far as in-car use, you do know that many cars are starting to come with direct ipod interfaces, and for $60 you can buy an adapter to plug it right into your decks cdchanger or AUX input. I'd much rather have my iPod with 60gb of music than lug around a case of CDs.

Also, the standard dock interface of the iPod and the numerous accessories are a large part of the draw. There are hundreds of cases and accessories specifically designed for the iPod, show me another DAP that has even 10 accessories?

It amazes me that people bash the iPod, many without ever owning one. I'm no Mac fan boy (Windows developer) but I can recognize a GOOD product when I see one. I want something that I can store most of my music on, easily plug into my car and use while driving. The iPod gives me all of that. I have yet to see any other device that comes close to the ease of use and interoperability of the iPod. The only thing the iPod lacked (FM radio) has been solved with a simple remote.

Give me a break - please at least use a product for a bit before bashing it. You make yourself sound like an elitest idiot. "I'm too COOL for the iPod. The public makes me sick with their American Idol". Get off your high horse man.

[ght @ Feb 13th 2006 5:44AM]

#41>
are you suggesting i get a new car so i can play an ipod (that i dont even want)in it? and i dont have a stereo with aux ins. (like, umm, most people) and i have a cd changer that is in the back of my car. so there is pretty much no way for me to play music in any mp3 player in my car that doesnt involve using something that makes the (in most cases) already compressed quality even worse. thanks for the recommentations, however.

ive fiddled with ipods man. its not like people who dont buy them dont know about them. and ironically, precisely why i do not buy them is because i know about them. lots and lots and lots of people have them - so ive had plenty of experience with them. i mean the little middle schoolers i teach all got them for xmas. except for the kids that got psps. kind like how in the 80s everyone HAD TO HAVE air jordans. (which, also, were massively overpriced.) they arent hard to come by or anything. and yeah - all those kids were all raving about the podcast features too! just kidding, bc they dont know what the hell a podcast is. and probably neither did 90% of ipod buyers when the bought them.

your argument of "show me a device that does what the ipod device does for the same price" is pretty lame - bc every mp3/pmp player on the planet has small differences. my point was: IF YOU ARE BUYING AN IPOD TO LISTEN TO MP3S - THERE ARE MUCH CHEAPER WAYS TO DO SO. and i think it stands to reason, most people buy them to listen to mp3s. since, uh, thats mainly what the whole device is built around. and i dont know about you , but my mp3s and recorded music take up about 170GB of harddrive space. which ipod would that be again? the macro? i mostly like to listen to albums. records and cds. random playlists are neat and everything, but im not going to let a computer company dictate the way in which i listen to music. which, to some degree, is what i feel like is going on.

apple sells a 2GB mp3 player for $200. philips sells one for $87. and im sure their are other companies that sell them for cheaper than that. i cannot accept that the 200%+ markup is due to extra features, or superior anything. i think its due to: branding. like how starbucks sells $6 cups of coffee. it tastes good - but is it really worth paying $6?

and i wasnt going to go here, but who the f wants to watch any kind of film on a 2 inch (or whatever) sreen? thats ridiculous. watching mpegs on my pocket pc isnt even enjoyable. bc its too small. i wish they would put a little display on the shuffle. i would love to see people watch 'desperate housewives' on that.,,

and frankly, until any mp3 player can record stereo .wav files at 48k at a reasonable price - im not interested.

[Morose @ Feb 13th 2006 5:55AM]

in answer to genius' question - everyone hates when their ipod gets scratched up, probably moreso than they do when their cellphone or any other sratcahble electronic widget they own gets scratched, because the ipod is A) a nice looking DAP and B) expensive. cellphones you can get for free or cheap when signing up for a plan, so people don't worry as much as about them (and those who do buy cases)

as for why it's a leader in the DAP market despite the known scratch-issues, i'd guess because the advantages (intuitive interface, condierable amount of storage, long battery life, whatever else it is people like about ipods) outweigh it.

also, just to share with the fellow pod-users - soon after obtaining my engraved 4thgen ipod i accidentally set it down next to a very leaky pen while sitting at a computer desk. the pen had gotten ink all over my thumb, which got onto the clickwheel, and there was a big black splotch on one side of the plastic and on the steel. I freaked. i wiped at it but it was starting to dry. Then i went into the bathroom to see if something could remove the ink without risking damage to the ipod. a Mr Clean Magic Eraser not onlyc leaned all the ink from the clickwheel, plastic, and steel, but it got all the fingerprints off the steel, too.

[jimbob @ Feb 13th 2006 7:41AM]

My mobile is scratched up, but its just a phone, I think 'cause the iPod looks more than just an electronic gadget people are more bothered about marking it. Also people who have chosen to buy an iPod over and more typical MP3 player, therefore the looks of the device are important to them.

[onebluehaze @ Feb 13th 2006 10:24AM]

get a case... or have scratches. procrastinating over getting the case will only cause more scratches.

Learn to deal with it. After all... you're the one who scratched it. :P

(has scratched 5G screen, loves it anyway... still no case for it).

[megoo @ Feb 13th 2006 2:36PM]

In that one pic...thats no 'lip'....it's simply light shinging through the 'gap' in between the clear outter shell and the black inner casing to create the illusion of a raised outter lip. I can recreate that pic w/ my black 30gb ipod.

[DrG @ Feb 13th 2006 4:01PM]

AndyC (#25) I'm with you; my phone is scratched to buggery but I plan to replace it every 2 years because something better will be out and about. Same with my iPod, still works fine.
And, err, Anodized Aluminium (#24) still scratches too! Why's everyone so keen to stick a huge thick case around the thin thing?