Apple iPod Nano (4th generation)

By Ella Morton on 19 September 2008

Cheaper, thinner, friendlier: the new Nano trumps its predecessors.

Editor's rating:8.5 User rating:7.8
  • Good: Attractive all-in-one matte metallic design • Better menu with option to turn off graphics • Easier to operate one-handed than the third-gen model
  • Bad: Headphones and sound quality are the same as before • Thumb can feel a bit squished • Some features require the purchase of additional accessories
  • Specs: Flash • 8GB • 320 x 240 pixels • Yes • See more specifications
  • RRP: AU$199.00

It's cheaper, it's thinner and it's available in a rainbow of metallic colours for AU$199 (8GB) or AU$279 (16GB). Ladies and gentlemen, this is Nano number four.

Design
Apple's most popular music player has undergone yet another extreme makeover. In contrast to last year's compacted design, the Nano has been stretched back to the candybar footprint of its first and second generations. That doesn't mean that specs have gone backwards, however. The size and resolution of the display is the same as the third-gen's version at two inches (5.1 centimetres) and 320x240 pixels, but it's been rotated 90 degrees to fit the form factor. The Nano is now a few hairs thinner at 6.2 millimetres, and almost 12 grams lighter at a feathery 37g. It's available in eight vibrant metallic colours in all three capacities — a refreshing change from previous generations which offered a limited colour range for each variety of player.

As with the new Touch, things have been smoothed out since last year. The Nano now sports an elliptical cross section, meaning the screen has a slightly curved glass overlay. This makes the display slightly more reflective than previous models, but it's not a big deal and shouldn't interfere with photo viewing or video watching.

Instead of sporting a reflective — and scratch-prone — back, the Nano is wrapped in one piece of brushed aluminium. It's a more practical design for those who chuck their players in a bag or pocket with a ring full of keys nestled up close.

The placement of the scrollwheel seems very low due to the height of the player and its vertical screen orientation. The combination of this and the thinness of the wheel can make your thumb feel a little squished and awkward when navigating through lists. On the plus side, the hold switch that got inexplicably relocated to the base of the third-gen player has been restored to its rightful location at the top left.

Features
The split-screen menu that debuted on last year's iPods was pretty-looking, but it also made the text feel cramped — and there was no way to turn the floating images off. For its fourth-gen Nano, Apple offers up a different version. Instead of being vertically bisected, the menu screen displays album covers and images in a strip at the bottom. If that's still too much for you, you can revert to a vanilla text menu by turning off the "Preview Panel" option in the main menu settings. The user friendliness continues with a new font size option, which enlarges all text in the menus.

Cover Flow browsing turned up in the last Nano release, but this time there's an accelerometer involved. Tilting the Nano 90 degrees brings on a parade of album covers organised by artist. Scroll through them speedily and the first letter of each is displayed beneath the whizzing images.

The accelerometer also allows for a rather gimmicky feature: shake to shuffle. As with Sony Ericsson's W910i phone, moving the Nano rapidly up and down causes a random track to surface from the depths of your audio library. As with the W910i, the attribute is cute but largely pointless.

Another software change is the addition of Genius, a playlist-creation feature introduced in iTunes 8. Choose the Genius option when a song is playing and the pixies in the circuit boards will assemble a list of 25 tunes that share the mood of the original. Genius works better on higher capacity Classics and Touches, where there are more songs to choose from, but it's relatively effective on the Nano as long as your tastes don't run to the very obscure.

As with the new Touch, the voice recording feature can't be used without investing AU$48 in Apple's new mic-equipped ear buds. This inclusion of accessory-dependent features can be viewed in two ways: either Apple is being a tease and forcing you to spend more money, or they're being considerate by keeping things simple and assuming that not everyone will want to record audio.

Performance
A perennial complaint about Apple music players has been that for a range that exhibits exemplary design and innovative interfaces, the same level of care is not shown in the sound quality — at least when heard through the bundled basic headphones. Though Steve Jobs acknowledged the grumbles and announced a new set of silicon-tipped ear buds at the iPod media event in September, the Nano ships with the same set of buds that accompanied last year's model. As a result, audio is akin to what we described in our last Nano review: a little humdrum and flat.

Video, on the other hand, looks fantastic. Footage is smooth, vibrant and immersive — well, as immersive as you can get on a 2-inch screen. Being able to view photos in landscape mode — they rotate automatically when you turn the player — cuts down on the "squinting at a postage stamp" factor.

The fourth-gen Nano is the friendliest one yet, with more customisation options, a smudge-free back and a wafer-thin yet sturdy construction. Those who dug its squarish predecessor may get a bit of a shock at the layout, but it's ultimately easier to use than the third-gen release.

Topics: 4g, apple, ipod, nano, gen

Comments (66)

  • Skwaab gave 8/10 on 15/11/2009 21:43 Report abuse

    • Good: a great little MP3 player, amazingly sufficient memory, extremely lightweight.
    • Bad: Earphones, battery life

    A great ipod, handy for those on the go, however minor faluts include trippin out when hooked up onto Ext. such as Xbox's DAB's etc. regarding the earphones, yeah, dont bother buying replacements, get yourself some skull candies |;;

  • Breezy gave a review on 23/10/2009 11:41 Report abuse

    • Good: Its color(blue, I luv Blue), its thin, easy gripping, "the turn", and the shuffle.
    • Bad: earphones! gah! they broke like a few months later and the battery dies out too quickly.

    I love my ipod. The only thing reallly that bugz me is the battery life. But overall, its great. Oh, and I see nothing wrong with the sound. Get new earphones duh!:]I am also clueless about the voice memo app that shows up sometimes, then goes away, as well as the radio. help?!?

  • billybob gave 6/10 on 20/09/2009 03:47 Report abuse

    • Good: new design, colors
    • Bad: HEADPHONES, AUDIO

    why do they keep these headphones???????????

  • Music lover gave a review on 02/09/2009 19:57 Report abuse

    • Good: Form, user friendliness, eye catching.
    • Bad: Horrible sound for such a 'top shelf' player (shame apple). Freezes when it feels like it. (usually when viewing pict). Battery life woeful.

    Apple cool....but overpriced and overhyped.
    If it wasn't for the fact that it is EASY to sync with itunes, and accesories abound for ipod's, I really wouldn't bother.

    Audiophiles RUN! There is not much truth to the 'just buy better headphones theory'. Mp3 player's can and do sound different.

  • Sweetie gave a review on 01/09/2009 19:43 Report abuse

    • Good: everythin, lovn it!! cha
    • Bad: not much just batery not too super dooper

    I love my red productt...lol who called it that wierdo..anyways it is really cool..envy of everyone ..space it pretty awsome too can get 1000+ on it yay.. yeah I recon how dumb can you be just turn the shake off you numb nuts...haha silly billy..

  • luvedov gave 10/10 on 30/08/2009 16:25 Report abuse

    • Good: everything
    • Bad: ////-----

    nothins bad, its amazin, cool, HOT PINK, BLIUE!!! wow its just great or am i just a freaky iPod luver? Hahaha!

  • apple gave a review on 30/08/2009 16:23 Report abuse

    • Good: amazing colours!! ;)
    • Bad: freezes alot, when this happens i can't sync my songs and there's nothing left on my iPod to listen to!

    I have owned my 4th gen for a year and its fantastic!!

  • Sunshiiine gave 9/10 on 30/08/2009 08:39 Report abuse

    • Good: Thee awsome colors, all my fav music
    • Bad: The shake. I like to dance to my ipod but I just turn the shake off. And I have to keep a case on it or other wise it will get scratched. And when you turn it side ways the screen does the same, it is annoying when you are lying vertical!

    its thee best ipod i have ever had ive had thee original 1st generation ipod nano, ive had thee 3 generations, && now thee 4th! its bomb cuz its PURPLE!! well all you people jockin && hateing on this ipod stfu && get a lyfe

  • bomb gave a review on 09/08/2009 12:36 Report abuse

    • Good: The range of colours. It can hold heaps of songs. The controls are easy. The games. The convenient extra's and stuff. Its tough.
    • Bad: The shake. I like to dance to my ipod but I just turn the shake off. And I have to keep a case on it or other wise it will get scratched. And when you turn it side ways the screen does the same, it is annoying when you are lying vertical!

    I don't really know what everyone is saying about crappy sound, freezing or battery. My iPod doesn't freeze randomly or anything. It does freeze from my friends crapo docking station but thats it. If you think the sound is bad just get different headphones! Its simple!

  • brad gave a review on 27/07/2009 11:29 Report abuse

    • Good: Every thing
    • Bad: Nothing

    You wrangers think it bad it great

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