Apple announces new 3rd gen iPod nano

El-Jobso just dropped news that the whole iPod lineup is getting a refresh or replace -- including the nano. Apparently those "spy photos" weren't too far off, as the new nanos look almost identical to the stout, squat player we've come to know and love. The new units will include 2-inch, QVGA, 320 x 240 screens that are 65-percent brighter than previous models and have the highest pixel density the company has ever shipped (204 pixels per inch). In addition to the new screens, the extra-wide player will sport an "enhanced" UI (which looks a lot like the video we saw recently) and its own version of Cover Flow. The nano will come bundled with three games, including a circular-Arkanoid rip-off called Vortex, and apparently you'll be able to purchase more from the iTunes store. The player's battery life has also been extended, with Apple touting 24 hours of playback for audio, and 5 hours for video. The 4GB model will be selling for $149, though it's only available in silver, while the rainbow-colored 8GB will leave you $199 lighter in the wallet. Both models will be in stores "by this weekend."

Gallery: new iPod Nano

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[ccolanto @ Sep 5th 2007 1:20PM]

first post?

[roc ingersol @ Sep 5th 2007 1:22PM]

I really dig the flat black.

[peter1.chapman @ Sep 5th 2007 5:54PM]

That's the only one that get's away with the fatness in my opinion. Black always was slimming, this time it appears to have worked on the black clickwheel tummy to make that one look sleek whilst.

[xienze @ Sep 5th 2007 1:23PM]

Man, you guys are 0-2 on guessing which leaked Apple photos are real or not.

The new keyboard? "That thing's too ugly to have been made by Apple! Where's the Apple key? FAKE!" Wrong. It was real.

The new iPod nano? "That thing's too ugly to have been made by Apple! The used Photoshop to display the picture, it must be FAKE!" Wrong. It was real.

Don't quit your day job folks...

[Rjay @ Sep 5th 2007 1:24PM]

/\ This is their day job idiot.

[riggs @ Sep 5th 2007 1:26PM]

which is why they SHOULDNT quit it :D

[xienze @ Sep 5th 2007 1:27PM]

Actually, I was talking about the Engadget readers, since they were the ones making the most noise about the pictures being fake...

[Rjay @ Sep 5th 2007 1:42PM]

Yeah thats what i meant.. this IS their day job.

[White_Pheonix @ Sep 5th 2007 1:52PM]

The new iPod nano is still too ugly to be made by Apple. The fact that they are making it does not change how ugly it is.

[ark_v2 @ Sep 5th 2007 9:01PM]

...and suddenly, they love them ;)

[Alan Partridge @ Sep 5th 2007 1:24PM]

List of things the new ZEN has and this doesn't:-

DivX/XviD support
WMV Support
SD Card slot with SDHC support.
Incredible 97dB SNR Audio Quality. (5G Ipod = 83dB, 2G Nano = 82.6dB)
16.7 million colour screen
Built-In microphone for voice recording
25hr music/5hr video battery life

4GB ZEN = $149
8GB ZEN = $199
16GB ZEN = $299

4GB iPod Nano = $199
8GB iPod Nano = $249
16GB iPod Nano = ???

I cant wait to read your review of this thing considdering you were so unimpressed with the new ZEN
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/31/hands-on-with-creatives-zen/

[WL @ Sep 5th 2007 1:28PM]

I wonder if all the fanatics who called it ugly before it came official will stick to their guns.

[Nick @ Sep 5th 2007 1:33PM]

i know i will! that thing is fugly.. and i dont know what the hell they were thinking.

[RobJ @ Sep 5th 2007 10:55PM]

The 8gb Nano is $199, putting it at the same price as the 8gb Creative ZEN. I'm buying a ZEN. Bigger screen. FM radio. Expandable with an SD slot. Better support for different file formats. Ba bye Apple.

[Lemmiwinks @ Sep 5th 2007 1:49PM]

Y'all got your pricing wrong on the Apple.

4GB nano = $149
8GB nano = $199

No 16GB cuz... well... at that point, you might as well get an iPod "Classic"

[enzo @ Sep 5th 2007 2:08PM]

Yeah and you know the new Zen looks better then that. It looks like something from keepin' it real fake!!!

[bobartig @ Sep 5th 2007 4:57PM]

The Creative Zen does have that "far-east-asian ugly-ass-PMP-buttons" layout, but the overall design and screen are pretty impressive.

I wasn't impressed with the UI either, with its Xbox dashboard inspired sheets going on, but the overall feature set and screen size IS impressive.

In all of Creative's past products, the differences between their offerings and Apple's really were quite irrelevant. Creative V vs. iPod Video, Shuffle vs. Stone, there really was no reason to give Creative a second thought, even w/ the Stone's OLED display. But this product seems to be their first attempt at diverging from Apple's design, rather than basically mirroring their product offerings.

I don't think Creative will have the momentum to carry it through, but at least their trying something new.

[Jon @ Sep 5th 2007 3:30PM]

So Engadget's advice to wait for Jobs announcement is bullshit.

[iRobot @ Sep 5th 2007 3:33PM]

Then why don't you buy a Zen and shut the hell up.

[dysonlu @ Sep 5th 2007 5:11PM]

Creative needs to make its UI prettier and cooler because the average-joe digs the UI and doesn't know or doesn't care about the other features -- they like eye-candy UI. That's where Apple puts all its "engineers" to work on and that's where Ceative is lacking. I have a Zen V Plus, it's great but its UI is just sucky and fugly compared to the iPod's. Just put some animation, pastel colors and some 3D icons and buttons and average Mr Joe and Ms Jane will be wow'ed by that. It's as simple and as idiotic as it sounds.

[Art @ Sep 5th 2007 1:24PM]

Looks phat!

[carl megens @ Sep 5th 2007 1:25PM]

that's fugly...

[TaMereEnShorts @ Sep 5th 2007 1:26PM]

Nice, I will call you: el gordito

[John @ Sep 5th 2007 1:26PM]

This looks stupid, so much for Apple design, I think they just jumped the shark.

[Chad Ringstrom @ Sep 5th 2007 1:27PM]

I was hoping the phat one wouldn't make it.. :(

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Sep 5th 2007 1:27PM]

So, I wonder what people's reactions will be now that they know the "fatty" is for real? Perhaps they'll just say that they meant "phatty" instead, trying to be hip! ;)

Personally, I liked the longer design of the 2G Nano instead. But if the price is right for the 3G Nano, then I think they'll have a seller on their hands.

[Sirius @ Sep 6th 2007 5:49AM]

I'm all for the 2G design too (I got one and it [as in proportion and wraparound metal case] looks much better than the 3G imo).. altho I can't remember how many times I've wanted video playback and more pixels to make the album art look good -_-

Another note: The Nano does NOT need a brighter screen!! I'm already getting blinded using it at night!.. My Nokia 6680 on the other hand.. wish I could average their screen brightnesses out..

[Niz @ Sep 5th 2007 1:28PM]

Finally shows you how much those people who shout fake know, and lack of ability to identify one. "oo clearly bevel and emboss on photoshop FAKE!!!"

[BradG @ Sep 5th 2007 1:30PM]

Does it do the truffle shuffle?

[Ted @ Sep 5th 2007 1:31PM]

That iPod Nano looks ugly.

The Apple wheel is getting to be a tired and dull looking design.

[L @ Sep 5th 2007 1:50PM]

Yepp, I'm sick of the wheel too...

[ignacio @ Sep 5th 2007 3:43PM]

I'm sick of the wheel too, but I suppose that's what the iPod touch is here for... I think all the new iPods still lack the feeling on "newness" I was hoping for... maybe the Sony Rolly is what I need? Could it be?!?!

[Eric @ Sep 5th 2007 1:33PM]

Gross

[wWw @ Sep 5th 2007 1:36PM]

can you say FUGLY?

[icepop4who @ Sep 5th 2007 1:36PM]

It's pretty cool, i gotta say. But really, if i do buy it, i can only say i'm doing it for jobs.

[Lemmiwinks @ Sep 5th 2007 1:53PM]

Yes, because Steve Jobs needs your money. I've never heard of anyone spending their hard earned income on a product they're not thrilled about just to line the pockets of a CEO.

[illingist trooper @ Sep 5th 2007 4:17PM]

Yeah, Lemminwinko... I think he was JOKING, but you missed it.

[Lemmiwinks @ Sep 5th 2007 6:05PM]

one would hope, but I'm not so sure...

[argenis @ Sep 5th 2007 1:36PM]

Uno!

[Kaine @ Sep 5th 2007 1:38PM]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but... Meizu actually looks better than this. *_*

[Major Malfunction @ Sep 5th 2007 1:38PM]

Dear gods!

Applefans are saying an Apple design is not-so-hot? You realize that every negative response causes an angel to lose its wings right?

[nate @ Sep 5th 2007 1:54PM]

Not gonna lie, creative pulled an surprising turnaround with their newest Zen. Design is pretty good, granted it wont have probally as nice of an interface, but still looks good, all the specs are better, comes with up to 16gb and an expansion slot, wow. If it does support SDHC thats amazing since in the near future SDHC cards will reach 32gb. 16gb cards are now for sale, but at rediculous prices.

for once, impressive creative.

@Alan Partridge
posted above the specs to the newest zen

[Raymond Pang @ Sep 5th 2007 1:43PM]

Wow the new ipod nano looks amazing. I want to get one.

[Kaine @ Sep 5th 2007 1:58PM]

You have an eye for fat chicks?

[jessy @ Sep 5th 2007 1:46PM]

it just gets easier every day for microsoft apparently.

[jessy @ Sep 5th 2007 1:51PM]

also, creative must be like, wow your like 2 years late apple.

[harry @ Sep 5th 2007 1:48PM]

I couldn't care the least about the new Nano, but look at the pics, Jobs is getting fat. Mind you I don't care about that either.

[sunderglow @ Sep 5th 2007 1:48PM]

Ugly but practical, so all is well. They've hit the inevitable nano design trap- people want a larger screen than that of the old nanos attached to a player that is smaller than the old nanos. A touch screen was a bit too much to hope for in this update.

[timatl @ Sep 5th 2007 1:49PM]

did they add a FM tuner

[Lemmiwinks @ Sep 5th 2007 1:50PM]

The nano used to be the sexiest player out there. Personally, I actually preferred the original 1G nano to the rounded-metal-case 2G ones, but the sexiness was still there.

This 3G one almost looks like a toy.