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iFixit opens up the new iPod nano
In recent weeks, iFixit has cracked open the iPhone 5 and the fifth-generation iPod touch. Next in line for their classic teardown analysis is the seventh-generation iPod nano. The first thing the group noticed about the new iPod nano is its long and thin profile, made possible by Apple's new Lightning connector and clever internal cable engineering. It's a significant difference from the sixth-generation nano which was short and squat because of its included clip. Similar to the iPod touch, the nano is not easy to self-repair. Many internal parts, like the battery, Lightning connector, button cable and headphone jack are soldered onto to the logic board and several others use adhesive. On iFixit's scale of one to 10, the iPod nano seventh generation is given a repairability score of five. As noted by iDownload blog, iFixit uncovered several Apple-branded chips that have unknown functions. You can read more about the iPod nano's innards in the full analysis at iFixit's website.
iPod nano hits iFixit's dissection slab, rated so-so on the repairability scale
Tearing down a device the size of an iPod nano is definitely not for the faint of heart (or shaky of hand), but none of that deters iFixit, who just tackled Apple's latest pint-sized player. We called it the best nano so far, but if the tiny iPod with newfound Nike+ functionality calls it quits, can you do something about it yourself, or will it need to be binned or go back to the repair depot? iFixit is torn on the device, saying that it's easy to take apart and replace the LCD or digitizer glass, but that the battery is glued solidly to the chassis, and other important parts like the Lightning connector are soldered together. That makes the replacement of those components nigh-on impossible, resulting in a repairability score of 5/10 for the device -- not that we'd be brave enough to crack it open ourselves.
iPod nano review (2012)
If you think Apple is getting a little predictable with its yearly device refreshes, you probably haven't been charting the progress of its iPod nano. While most products in the Apple line receive an update every 12 months or so, few have experienced the kind of annual reinvention of the nano. It's a rare example of the company drastically re-thinking a product with such regularity -- or of simply not really knowing what to make of it. Depending on how you look at it, this new seventh-generation iPod nano is either the latest, most optimal design of the long-running series, or it's Apple's latest shot in the dark. Even the cynics will have to agree this is a pretty good shot, thinner than ever and packing more functionality than in the past -- including Bluetooth 4.0. It sure doesn't make much of a wristwatch, but is the latest littlest iPod worth the $149 price of admission to its 16GB capacity? Read on to find out.
Supposed next-gen iPod Nano with camera leaks again, clip back in tow
If you'll recall, it was April of last year when we reported on pictures from Apple.pro, which claimed to show a seventh-generation iPod Nano chassis with room for a camera. Not long after, the site posted a second leak of the device, hinting at the omission of the Nano's famous clip in favor of optics. Fast forward to the present, and we're now looking another supposed shot of the unit, however, this time the clip is back and it's made room for the shooter. Like prior Nano-camera efforts, this prototype's loaded with a less-than-whopping 1.3-megapixels of resolution, which M.I.C Gadget claims in its non-final form, took overexposed photos. Apple's apparently also been toying with 2-megapixel prototypes, but those too were apparently deemed unsatisfactory. M.I.C. Gadget also muses the two month old prototype is nearing release, and that it could be released before the traditional fall schedule. Seeing as the Nano's long overdue for a hardware refresh, we'd file that under definitively maybe, but before believing, take copious amounts of salt as you hit the source link below for a bevy of pics.
Purported seventh-gen iPod nano spotted, complete with 1.3 megapixel camera
Is this Apple's next iPod nano? It is if you believe the folks from Taiwan's Apple.pro website who, as you may recall, also recently got their hands on a purported next-gen iPod nano chassis that seems to match the complete device pictured above. As you can see, the big change here is the addition of a built-in camera that's said to be 1.3 megapixels, which appears to have also shoved the clip out of the way, although there does seem to be a faint outline where one could be. Of course, the key word here is purported -- to its credit, some of the site's leaks have indeed panned out in the past, but we'd still recommend taking this one with a grain of salt for the time being.
Next-gen iPod nano chassis hints at camera?
Here's yet another juicy leak from China to go with your breakfast. Delivered by the same folks who brought us the sixth-gen iPod nano display module leak, this time we have what appears to be a chassis for the next touchscreen nano. According to Apple.pro, the circular hole at the top right is likely to house a little camera, which would bring back the good old days with the camera-donning fifth-gen nano. Obviously, to make space for such an imager here, the spring-loaded clip on the back would have to be downsized and shifted, which would explain why the four screws are off-centered here, unlike those on the current-gen nano (as seen in iFixit's teardown shot after the break). That said, let's not forget that this rumor is coming straight out of KIRFdom, so we'll remain skeptical until this baby pops out around September time, as has been the case with most nano launches in the past.
