New iPod nano and iPod touch dimensions revealed?

So, iLounge has a hot tip on dimensions for the hotly-rumored, upcoming iPod nano and iPod touch refreshes. The diagrams appear to the type of thing provided to case manufacturers so they launch their player-hugging wares on day one, but could just as easily be faked, so we'll take 'em with a grain of salt. Of note, the new fourth-gen iPod nano has supposedly slimmed down to a mere 6.08mm thick, compared to the 2nd gen's 6.5mm, while the second-gen iPod touch got all curvy on us like big brother 3G, and similarly adds thickness: 8.4mm thick, instead of 8mm on the original. More exciting than the design tweak is the addition of volume control buttons to the side of the iPod touch, though the headphone port has stuck to the base of the device. Hopefully we'll know more soon, the mock-suspense is just killing us.

Update: A couple have people have pointed out that XSKN has also made a nano 4G case to these dimensions. Hooray for them!

[OneLove @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:19PM]

Any reason why they went back to the tall nano?

[Saad Rabia @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:55PM]

Because the current one sucks.

[Jakob @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:11PM]

No I would like to know too. Currently I like the "fattie" much better. The new nano is nearly as tall as iPod touch, which isn't cool, but it has a much begger screen, which indeed is cool.

BTW I miss the days where an Apple event was a surprise.

[who? @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:14PM]

I would guess that people like things to be more pocket friendly (maybe? I actually like the current one better...), and because this way they might be able to implement an accelerometer similar to the iPod Touch and iPhone's (probably just for iPod games though).

A lot of people have suggested that there will not be an iPod Nano refresh, and instead they will announce a low-end "iPhone Nano", which is what this might be (I hope not). This would seem to be an even more likely possibility because of the fact that it is long enough to be used while held up to your face (I really hope it isn't true...).

[Knives_Out @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:23PM]

the wheel is past it's prime ... they should ditch it and leave more room for the screen. it looks ugly now anyways.

[yelohbird @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:23PM]

@Jakob:
Solution: Stay of teh internets. You'll be surprised =)

[AnUnreliableSource @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:47PM]

This new iPod nano is long to match its upcoming sibling, the iPhone nano.

[dennis @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:27PM]

Am I the only one here who thinks the Nano has an internal wifi antenna?

[doyouflip @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:06PM]

The only way I could see this working with video is if the scroll wheel were also a screen and it had an accelerometer. That way, when rotated, the controls would rotate so the "menu" option were still on the new top side and the arrows still pointed to the user's left and right.

That would be great because it could conceivably be just as usable by left-handers as by right-handers.

[Tubes @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:34PM]

To get everyone to keep purchasing new accessories, silly :-)

[B.Cherry @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:27PM]

Apple has added an iR to the 4G Nano so iT can be used as a remote for iTunes and what not.

-sent from my iPhone
_____________________
iGet enough exercise just pushin' my luck!

[El Taco @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:27PM]

because they wanted to make a widescreen. This new one has a 16:9 widescreen if you haven't noticed.

[jeth @ Sep 4th 2008 12:18AM]

for a bigger screen, i guess

[tekdemon @ Sep 4th 2008 1:20AM]

I owned a 1st gen nano (until it fell out of a loose pocket during an auto show from sitting in so many different cars-doh) and I didn't like the form factor of the fatty nano at all.
I'm actually tempted by the 4th gen-a nice screen upgrade and it's in the form factor I loved.

The slim form factor is definitely more pocketable (although I suggest not putting it in a loose pocket if you're going to be sitting in cars other than your own).

[Blu-Sam @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:47PM]

holy cow, I can see iPod touch with, possible, camera!

[Maestro @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:50PM]

Or maybe a speaker.

[From My Cube @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:50PM]

for the bajillionith time,

No, its not a camera hole, its for the light sensor

[Dave @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:47PM]

The light sensor is at the front (top-left), the larger opening is at the back. And this case for the iPod Touch 2G clearly shows an opening at the back - most likely for the camera: tinyurl dot com / 6s5t5l

[phanbouy @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:36PM]

IT'S NOT A TUMOR

[waiownsyou @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:49PM]

Look at the bottom left shot of the iPod Touch... it looks like there's a hole there for where there should be a camera like on the iPhone...

[BDWN @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:55PM]

Maybe so they won't cover up the WiFi-antenna?

[Saad Rabia @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:10PM]

Maybe, it's a hologram projector!

[michas_pi @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:20PM]

@Saad Rabia:

I want to believe.

Nintend-er, I mean, Apple On.

[whatishalo? @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:21PM]

It's a freakin' lazzer pointer!!

[Chris Aubeck @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:36PM]

it's a torch

[happy_penguin @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:38PM]

Why stop at torch? It's a flamethrower so iPod fanboys can torch Zune fanboys.

[hiko36 @ Sep 5th 2008 6:59PM]

I fairly positive that by 'torch' he meant flashlight...

[Cardbored @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:52PM]

Why revise the Touch? All it is, is one big screen

[Decoy @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:57PM]

You can't sell new docks to the same person if the shape stays the same!

[dennis @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:30PM]

I think there's a high likelihood of some kind of audio i/o (speaker/microphone) and maybe a camera. One reason to update the Touch is so that it can benefit from as many of the software apps in the App Store as possible. It's better for the App store, it's better for 3rd party developers, and it's simpler and better for consumers.

Does anyone know if you can install the same app you purchased on the iPhone on multiple devices without purchasing another copy?

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:52PM]

So that means the new ipod touch will have the curved backing like the iphone. Plus the reason they are going back to the tall nano is because many people prefer the old v the phatty.

[SteveJ @ Sep 3rd 2008 12:54PM]

Please, please tell me there is now a speaker on the touch and that that's one of the reasons for the extra thickness. Also a user-replaceable battery would be a huge improvement, particulalry given the change in usage patterns that the AppStore has created. I've been charging my iPod touch at least once a day ever since 2.0, and often twice a day, due to heavy usage - that's got to change the expected battery life. We need user replaceable (and upgradable) batteries, thank you very much.

[yelohbird @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:31PM]

Please please...any speaker they can possibly fit into the iPod touch will at best be on par with an average cellphone speakerphone...which is to say it will suck. It's un-Apple to fit something imperfect into their product, so this is highly unlikely. (dodges anti-Apple-fanboy...er...rotten apples)

That said, Apple, please please don't include any speakers on the iPods...EVER...or else we will have a new generation of kids who think it's a wannabe ghettoblaster and walk down the street "blasting" mainstream hip hop music on their 3.5W speakers thinking they are "cool".

[Furx @ Sep 4th 2008 12:15AM]

You wont have it cuz Lord Steve Jobs doesn't want you to have it

You will bow to him, BOW!

[diuqil @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:43PM]

How will Apple force you to buy a new version of their product ever year, if they let you change your battery so easily. ;)

[Meridimus @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:46PM]

What about the camera in the iphone, that sucks

[absinthe party @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:01PM]

Shouldn't this post have 164 comments already? Something seems off about today.

[Rich UK @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:02PM]

Well this is good... i was worried that the nano was going to need a tapered screen but from these blue(black?)prints is just the edges are tapered and the area over the screen is flat

[iEye @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:04PM]

Apple want to cut costs and streamline supply and production, I suspecs that the same plastic case on the iPhone 3G will find its way onto the back of the iPod touch.

I just hope Apple has addressed the cracked white plastic back shell this time around...

I just hope that for the sake of those fanboys that will eat this up, that Apple has included a speaker in the design refresh... (1% chance) Stereo BT (0.5% chance) and sort sort of mic to allow phone calls over WiFi (0.000001% chance)

[Zak @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:05PM]

The current Touch uses two memory chips side by side, so why increase thickness?









*cough* hard drive *cough*

[Eddie @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:05PM]

As much as I like the idea of a hard drive 80gb+ iPod Touch, I highly doubt it. A hard drive + a big screen + the processor would result in crap battery life.

[bjack913 @ Sep 4th 2008 3:05PM]

The thickness is probably due to a larger battery. The iPod touch has always suffered from a short battery life compared to the iPhone.

[nick pap @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:05PM]

A speaker is my mumber 1 wishlist for me. If it will have it i wll buy one ASAP !!!

[Mars Frederiksen @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:16PM]

Speaking as someone who designs, creates, and reviews technical drawings for a living, I'd just like to point out that this drawing looks like the kinda crap that a sophomore engineering student would produce. Oh yeah, and that CAD model that showed up a few weeks ago really was terrible. There is NO WAY that those are actual models/drawings created by someone who knows what they are doing. They are just plain terrible.

[Mike C @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:18PM]

I hope those are faked, or else someone needs a lesson in proper dimensioning...

[yelohbird @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:29PM]

Please please...any speaker they can possibly fit into the iPod touch will at best be on par with an average cellphone speakerphone...which is to say it will suck. It's un-Apple to fit something imperfect into their product, so this is highly unlikely. (dodges anti-Apple-fanboy...er...rotten apples)

That said, Apple, please please don't include any speakers on the iPods...EVER...or else we will have a new generation of kids who think it's a wannabe ghettoblaster and walk down the street "blasting" mainstream hip hop music on their 3.5W speakers thinking they are "cool".

[yelohbird @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:32PM]

Oops...this was supposed to be a reply to SteveJ above....who ironically does not know anything about his own upcoming iPods....

Darn engadget for not being able to edit/delete comments!!!

[Pheeel @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:29PM]

Huh, the Nano looks like the Zune now...

[Quix @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:12PM]

Actually, the Nano looks like the Nano from two generations ago, pre-Zune. FYI.

[Jubei @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:24PM]

Silly. Zune is not new nor innovative, its a "me too" product. How quick of you to forget about the iPod Nano. The screen is bigger now, but the form factor is very similar on the 2005 model.