Apple iPod Nano / 2nd Generation

Apple iPod Nano / 2nd Generation

Apple’s second generation iPod Nano was made available in September 2006. As an update to the popular first generation iPod Nano, this portable media player features some cosmetic changes and a few significant under the hood improvements.

The second generation Nano kept the same form factor and profile as its predecessor. At 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.26 inches, the Nano keeps the familiar first generation’s tall and lean profile but is slightly thinner and more curved around the edges. The most significant cosmetic changes are the casing and the new body color options. The second generation Nano sports an anodized aluminum case and is scratch-resistant similar to the popular iPod Mini, the predecessor of the Nano line. And, just like with the defunct Mini, the updated Nanos are also available in a variety of colors: silver, green, pink, blue, black and red.

This iPod Nano shares the same LCD screen specifications as the first generation’s which is a 1.5-inch color screen running at a resolution of 176 x 132 pixels. Improvements to the display come by way of a brighter (about 40% brighter) and more vibrant display. Battery life has also been improved and now lasts an estimated 24 hours of continuous audio playback.

The most significant update is the storage capacity. The second generation bumps up the memory to 2, 4 and 8 gigabytes, double that of the previous Nanos.

The 2 gigabyte model is only available in silver while the bigger capacity Nanos get all the new colors. The 4 gigabyte one is available in blue, silver, green, pink and red while the 8 gigabyte model comes in black and red.

Another under the hood improvement is the added support for audio recording via third-party microphone accessories.

Review Summary

The second-generation Apple iPod Nano sports a seamless construction and a scratch-resistant aluminum body in a variety of colors. The unit retains its slender shape yet should be more durable sans the seams. The Apple iPod Nano supports photos, album art and offers strong sound quality. The battery life has been deemed nothing short of amazing, giving a person upwards of 20 hours of usage The iPod Nano features a touch-sensitive Click Wheel control on the front of the unit. The Nano offers 3 Playback Mode buttons including Play/Pause, Previous/Rewind, and Next/Fast-forward. Nano’s buttons can be disabled to prevent accidental bumping and you can to repeat either one song over and over or make a list of songs to repeat over and over, shuffle all songs on the drive, shuffle all songs on a certain playlist, and album shuffles.

The iPod Nano is still too early of a generation to play video. But the bright LCD screen is an improvement over earlier options. That said, the screen is quite tiny and it is not all that exciting looking at such small photos and though displaying album art is neat, it does take significant storage space away from tune options. Other drawbacks include no built-in FM tuner and no recording capability. For those that style and color are essential you will be disappointed to find that only certain color options available depending on the memory sizes.

Overall, the second-generation Apple iPod Nano is small, stylish, and generally user-friendly. Increasing battery-life almost two fold, doubling the storage of the 1G Nano offered at the same price, and the brighter LCD are all positive steps. On the negatives, it is time for Apple to build in an FM tuner. Most importantly, it is competitively priced, making the unit a great all around player for the budget conscious individual.