iPod nano 4G leaked in actual, factual, really-real spy photo

Look, you know the drill here. This may be the painstaking result of some CAD-school-dropout's nights home alone, or the latest in cheapo knock-offs from the Far East. You may be looking at a Photoshop spackled together from newspaper clippings, puppy dog tears, and Steve Jobs' fever-dreams. Or, this could be a really crappy, actual photo of the iPod nano 4G in its packaging. It sure looks enough like what we've been seeing lately to be any / all of the above. Regardless, we'll know the truth real, real soon.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

[Parker @ Sep 5th 2008 11:12PM]

i like it

[MrFairladyz @ Sep 5th 2008 11:52PM]

I like it too... it will probably feel really great in the hand...

looks like they went back to the plastic tops+bottoms though... and i think u might have to rotate sideways to watch vids, if it can.

other than that...i REALLY like the curving...giggity giggity gig-ga-dee

[Kurt @ Sep 6th 2008 12:00AM]

If you like this player so much, you would probably also like the player it copied its appearance from....the Zune 4G!

Apple Innovation

[TheMagnificen7 @ Sep 6th 2008 12:05AM]

@Kurt

Gee, I kinda thought the flash Zune looked like the 1st and 2nd gen Nanos.

Microsoft Innovation

[Paul Chapel @ Sep 6th 2008 12:14AM]

Yes, Apple is copying the Zune, which copied Apple's iPod, which copied the Nomad, which copied the Sony Walkman. Holy crap! My head is spinning!

[King Mook Mook @ Sep 6th 2008 2:17AM]

I think Engadget has been bought out by Mac Rumors. Also is Google Chrome not worth reporting on Engadget.

[Frank @ Sep 6th 2008 6:29AM]

Is Google Chrome a gadget?

[TiatAniumMan @ Sep 6th 2008 9:10AM]

Is windows a gadget?
Is Itunes a gadget?
Is OS X a gadget?
Isn't engadget going to talk about that too?

[Wormbolt @ Sep 6th 2008 11:19AM]

Are they calling it the ZunePod or iZune?

[d @ Sep 6th 2008 11:35AM]

@ anyone who mentioned the zune.

No, they will call it an iPod. But the zune is not a bad device. It's and outdated device, with terrible desktop software, that isn't mac compatible. It does have built in Wi-Fi (and had it long before the iPod touch) and the swipe controls are pretty cool too. If Apple put there own software on the Zune, and made it look all apple-y, it would be an incredible device that I would buy in an instant. Then again, they'd probably get this. And as much of an Apple Fanboy that I am, I have no problem with that,

[zephead @ Sep 6th 2008 12:35PM]

@d

The Zune's wifi only has ad-hoc capabilities, but the iPod Touch can browse the Internet. Big difference there.

[Wormbolt @ Sep 6th 2008 2:00PM]

@d

So your vote is iZune?

[Anthony @ Sep 6th 2008 3:23PM]

But how long until the image gets pulled. Usually Apple Legal would be all over this if it were real. Maybe that means that the real update is in the software, not the hardware, or is Apple Legal just taking the day off?

[mani @ Sep 6th 2008 4:59PM]

maybe that large screen is used for touch?
and apples given the option of using the touch screen controll or
use the click wheel?

[mani @ Sep 6th 2008 5:02PM]

the overly large screen may be due to the fact that it could be for a touch screen?
and apples given the option of using the click wheel

[SK @ Sep 11th 2008 11:52AM]

Err.....
I'm not toooo sure about this new nano.
It looks kinda like those copycat mp4 players which are cheap,
but they try to copy iPod's design.
However this one looks a bit like those crap players...
Also, amazingly,
this is EXACTLY what the real thing looks like...

[Ray @ Sep 5th 2008 11:12PM]

How uneventful. A picture of a mp3 player.

[Sora @ Sep 5th 2008 11:35PM]

BUT IT'S APPLE!!!!!!1!!!!!ONE

[iSmoke,therefore emit death by breathing @ Sep 6th 2008 12:04AM]

it's happening just like they said it would
a few weeks ago when the Kevin Rose photo showed up everybody was saying"i hate it"
now look at all the fanboys slurping the kool-aid..


drink up u rat bastards! salud!

[Darkroom @ Sep 6th 2008 12:28AM]

@urg: tell me about it... i've never seen a "spy photo" with a macro... it's become a cliché...

[joe @ Sep 5th 2008 11:14PM]

NOT REAL

[L8on @ Sep 5th 2008 11:37PM]

okay, show us the real one then!

i don't myself one way or the other so I don't take a risk of making a fool of myself 4 days before the truth comes out..

[Cycomachead @ Sep 6th 2008 1:22AM]

ARGH!!! First it uses and old orange color. 2. It's blurry. And modern camera can take a sharp picture. 3. There's no 'real' image noise to be a low-light shot. It's too uniform. And it's too high quality to be from a cell phone. The packaging is the same. I just have a feeling apple will change the packaging after this time to be more eco friendly.

Seriously? Orange? When apple changed to pastel colors no one was crying over orange. And the only orange one i've seen is the 2G shuffle my friend found at the beach.

Also has anyone considered that the form factor would require turning the iPod either landscape or portrait. Thus requiring a change of controls. Remember the zune? And what about right vs left handed people?

[Wwhat @ Sep 7th 2008 6:53AM]

I don't think it's real, but the argument that's it's out of focus is fail since I've seen so many pictures of techsites who went to CES and such completely prepared and returned with nothing but blurry crap shots, part of the problem being that people can't focus manually anymore and the autofocus goes for the surface of reflective case it's displayed in.

[MastrCake @ Sep 5th 2008 11:13PM]

Wow. Looks nice. I hate my fatty now. It's too fat.

[Anthony @ Sep 5th 2008 11:15PM]

Last gen was a failure from the get go. I think this just proves it (spy, fake or otherwise).

[MastrCake @ Sep 6th 2008 12:15AM]

Hey now, the iPod Nano fatty is perfectly fine, with the exception of its, well, fat. Plays video great (needs a bigger screen, though), plays music great, and, most importantly, it works. Unless the new Nano has something that makes my fatty 100% obsolete (which is not likely), I will not be buying a new one.

Truth is, I don't really hate my fatty. I was kidding (obviously), but this new one looks like it should be better than mine.

[Artie Lange @ Sep 6th 2008 12:20AM]

Way to go, Mr. Insensitive. Nano fatties everywhere are sticking their earphone jacks down their little, plastic throats in a feverish but futile attempt to drop some grams.

[Austin R. Range @ Sep 6th 2008 12:32AM]

I liked the 1G and 2G a lot more than the current (untill the 9th) 3G simply because I don't watch videos much at all if ever.

[Daza @ Sep 6th 2008 3:44AM]

This new design looks nice, but I don't understand what they were thinking with the 3G Nano.

1G - Candy bar design
2G - Same candy bar design, but a little skinnier. Anodised aluminium so it didn't get scratched as easily.
3G - Fatty design, highly scratchable back.
4G - Candy bar again?

There's just no consistency whatsoever. I like new designs and approaches, but it annoys me that they change the design so much while leaving the features exactly the same.

[Jakob @ Sep 6th 2008 4:21AM]

Daza excuse me? But how do you know the new nanos don't have new features? Anyway it looks beautiful, but probably twice the size of the current?

That was three questions, answer me fast!

[dennis @ Sep 6th 2008 8:09AM]

@Daza: I've said before and I'll say it again. The major redesign decision must have come from altering the hardware components in order to add functioning. Given how thin (and yet fat) the 3G Nano was, the only justification to make the Nano long again (like the 2G) with a bulging middle is that you want to put an internal wifi antenna inside. I think the accelerometer is in there, but it's not exactly a must have feature in the Nano that you get to hold it sideways now.

[Tyler @ Sep 5th 2008 11:13PM]

So ugly i dont understand, why ruin a perfectly good thing

[AnjoUSA @ Sep 5th 2008 11:39PM]

I agree...ugly, big... looks like cheap china's mp4...sucks....

[Smileypanda @ Sep 7th 2008 5:16PM]

Maybe it looks like a Chinese knockoff...because it is?

[Parker @ Sep 5th 2008 11:13PM]

yay

[Ben @ Sep 5th 2008 11:15PM]

I'm guessing the screen is a widescreen but vertically because they might have the sensors in it like the ipod touch where you turn it and everything moves with it. Anyone else think that makes sense?

[Cody @ Sep 5th 2008 11:19PM]

Or the videos could just play in a landscape mode...no sensors required.

[J-Rad @ Sep 5th 2008 11:32PM]

Accelerometer? That'd be neato

[centinall @ Sep 6th 2008 12:14AM]

Wouldn't that kill your neck though? Watching it in landscape all the time? ;-)

[Eric @ Sep 6th 2008 12:33AM]

Mac Geniuses are also skilled chiropractors. Its cool.

[Atanas Boev @ Sep 6th 2008 4:42AM]

And how about the games? Landscape or portrait?

[Totalfixation @ Sep 5th 2008 11:16PM]

At this point i think apple is beyond milking the consumers. They should have done something to make it are appealing than just curving the sides more.

[Amrit @ Sep 6th 2008 12:56AM]

Agreed... From the rumours it seems, there is nothing new on the table wrt the hardware. just a new design. Comeone... bring in something new.... atleast give us custom EQ !!!

I dont see a reason for anyone to upgrade.

[John @ Sep 5th 2008 11:16PM]

Why do we always find out about the ugly refreshes so early, but never all the details on the really cool stuff?

[Ryan @ Sep 5th 2008 11:21PM]

10-4

[Thomas @ Sep 5th 2008 11:17PM]

I am worried about the curved screen.

[BrettB @ Sep 5th 2008 11:47PM]

Actually, I don't think it has a curved screen. The body is obviously curved, but I think the screen is flat. There were some mock ups floating around earlier this week that looked a lot like this and had a flat screen. Kinda hard to tell from the picture, but as a curved screen would really prove problematic, I think it's most likely flat. And I think this is the real deal. Just a hunch. All things being equal, I never really liked the fatty (and it's crooked screen issue) and I'm glad to see them heading back to the "traditional" nano dimensions. I must say, I do like the orange. If they up the capacity to 16gb, I think I may have to get one.

[Michael Scrip @ Sep 6th 2008 1:02AM]

How about recessing the screen?!?! A curved screen now has an exposed edge!

I love my 2nd gen 8GB Nano... it's the perfect music player for me. But I have it in a clear hard case to protect the screen. The rest of the Nano is fine... aluminum is tough. I wish all iPods had a glass screen.

Although, my Nano with the hard case is still thinner than competitors. :)

If they can cram 16GB into this 4th gen Nano... I will buy it!

[Sofunnytom @ Sep 6th 2008 1:34PM]

have u ever heard of a 32gb micro sd card? its easily possible