Digital Trends

Apple iPod nano 8GB September 14th, 2006 | by Jason Tomczak

Video Review

Features and Design
The second generation iPod nano is a gorgeous little media device.  Slightly smaller than the original iPod nano and more than reminiscent of the iPod mini, the new nano is a sexy audio marvel with a few hidden surprises.

Bright and Colorful
The new nano has an improved color display.  The display itself is the exact same size, but it is a whopping 40% brighter.  This means that viewing album art, song titles and even photos is a much better experience - especially in bright daylight situations.  In addition to the increase in brightness, the contrast seems to have been increased, making album art look better. 

The nano can be purchased in bright and lively colors - pink, blue and green - as well as sexy silver (which, not surprisingly, matches Powerbook, MacBook Pro and Mac Pro computers) and a stunning black.  The 2GB model only comes in silver.  The 4GB models are available in silver, pink, blue and green.  Only the 8GB model is available in black. 

More Durable
The newly revamped iPod nano is surprisingly different from its 1st rev ancestor in that it is much more scratch resistant.  The anodized (which means 'coated with a protective oxide layer') aluminum body is tough - much like the iPod mini - and does not show hairline scratches like the plastic/resin and mirror-like metal of the original nano.  Of course, any metal can be scratched if enough force is applied or if the scratching object is sharp enough, but in terms of "normal use", the new nano is far, far tougher than its predecessor.  It also looks like the screen on the new nano is made of a different, more durable material.  Well done, Apple!  

Size Matters
Believe it or not, somehow Apple managed to make the new iPod nano slightly smaller than the original.  The new iPod nano measures 3.5” x 1.6” x 0.26”, whereas the original nano measured 3.5” x 1.6” x 0.27”.  So the new nano is 0.01" thinner - about the thickness of a cheap business card.  The original nano weighed in at a svelte 1.50 ounces.  The new nano lost 0.09 ounces to weigh in at 1.41 ounces.  These aren't monumental improvements, but they are significant in Apple's effort to cram better technology into smaller and smaller devices.

Going and Going
Another of the major improvements over the original nano is the battery life.  Play time has been increased from an already impressive 14 hours to a whopping 24 hours - an increase of over 71%.  This near-doubling of battery life is even more impressive when considering the 40% increase in screen brightness.  The enhanced battery will allow you enough listening time for four cross-country flights, a 90-mile walk along the beach (don't forget your Nike+ Sport kit!) or approximately 450 songs.  For those of us always on the run, we can now recharge our iPod nanos to 80% capacity in just 90 minutes.  That's right folks, a 90 minute charge gives about 19 hours of playback time.  A full charge takes about 3 hours.