This is the 4th time that Apple upgraded their most popular media player, the iPod Nano 5G. I previously thought there’s nothing more you can add to this small media player but looks like Apple still has a couple up their sleeves.
Apple sent me a review unit last week and here are some of my observations about the new iPod Nano.
The exterior design has not changed since the previous one (see review of iPod Nano 4G), except for the addition of a VGA video camera and pinhole mic at the back. That, and the 2.2″ screen size.
Here are several sample videos recorded with the iPod Nano:
The videos are a little washed out and even playback on the Nano gives an impression it’s in greyscale and not color (even if it is). I think it’s decent and the frame rate is good enough considering it’s just VGA (0.3MP). The recorded videos can be accessed via File Manager when Disk Mode is enabled on the device. File format is MP4 and encoding is MPEG-4, 640×480 resolution at 29fps. Audio is stereo at 44kHz with a 128 bitrate.
The placement of the camera and mic at the back still puzzles me. Putting them at the bottom left end of the backside is counter-intuitive — I always end up covering the lens whenever I shoot. The pinhole mic picks up sound pretty well but there’s a significant amount of static noise that goes along with it.
The FM radio tuner works as expected and fixing on a channel/station is easy with the scroll wheel. However, you will need the earphones plugged in for it to work as it serves as a radio antenna.
The built-in speakers are hidden somewhere but from inspection, it seems the volume is strongest at the bottom end (cable port). It’s usable but not very loud nor has any semblance of bass either (better than no speakers at all). Speakers won’t work with radio as well since the earphones must be plugged in.
As for the other new features like the pedometer may only be useful when you’re a big fitness buff. Of course, there’s also the Nike + iPod Sports Kit package for runners. The VoiceOver, implemented earlier with the Shuffle, tells you the title and artist of the songs you listen to.
As for the sound performance of the player, there aren’t any improvements in that department (compared to the 3rd and 4th generation). Same with the earphones. I guess Apple focused more on adding those new features instead of impressing the audiophiles.
Nonetheless, if I said that the 4th generation wasn’t a worthy upgrade before, this 5th generation sure does offer a plethora of value-added features to make it a worthy buy. At the Apple Philippines Online Store, the 8GB iPod Nano is priced at Php8,790 and the 16GB at Php10,490.
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how much is this?
This one cost 10k.php. its nice to have one…
@MP
did you even mind reading the article?
Available na po ba ito dito sa Pinas? Or sa ibang bansa pa lang?
Salamt po sir sa pagshare ng gadget na ito… Galing nyo talaga…
@MP – updated with prices.
@Joroz – you can get any of the colors at the Apple Philippines Online Store. They’re also available on all Apple resellers in the Philippines.
@Jericho – welcome.
Saan mo nakuha ang first video. I have never been there.
hmmm…pwede na pang-scandal..very handy…hehehe!
@brianb – Boni High Street at The Fort.
this ipod is really good for listening to music tracks and radio , for me id rather get zune hd if want to watch videos coz I always have my mobile for taking picts and videos anyway.. nice shi tzu mr. yuga kaya lang nahulog sa bench hehehe…how many dogs do you have?
Heard that this only shoots videos and not pictures – pretty weird if it’s really true.
Is it possible to use the FM radio even if I’m not using Apple earphones?
@bertsan – hahaha! yeah, puppy pa e. We now only have 2 pet dogs. Don’t ask about the python and the piranha. hehehe
@reel advice – yup, no photos, just videos. weird nga.
@daniel – yup, any headphone will do.
Finally! I’ve been waiting for an iPod that has a voice recorder, the pedometer will also be useful for someone who needs to lose weight like me.
worthy buy? come on! those added features are too late in the market… or just because it is APPLE means it is BUY ME?
better rename this post as an advertisment rather than a review
mas nag panic ako dun sa nahulog na puppy kesa sa so-so video quality ng ipod nano.
hmmm…pwede na pang-scandal..very handy…hehehe!
yuga, did you also notice that the build is also quite strange, parang mas naging toy-like compared sa previous gen? very disappointing itong latest release talaga… even the colors look tacky. the aluminum build also seems to be a little “cheaper to the feel” compared to last gens.
this new nano is horrible.
Mukhang maganda nga din yung iPod Nano 5th Gen but I still want to get an iPhone 3G S. Sir Abe, next time mag test ka ng video capabilities ng nirereview mo iinclude mo lagi yung shih tzu mo. Ang cute kasi niya, actually distracting siya kasi nakakalimutan mo na hindi maganda or maganda yung quality ng video. hehehe
I forgot to ask what your pup’s name is…
hey I got mine for P7,490 at accent micro (megamall), Ipod Nano 8gb 12 months 0%interest
hehehe cheap!!!!
I’d rather go for the iPod Touch 8gb rather than the 16gb Nano 5th gen.
review naman diyan about: AUDIOENGINE, very impressive audio accessories for computers and mp3’s. available na kaya sa pinas? sori kung naliligaw itong topic. ganda sound for its size.
would like to ask about the battery life of this ipod? how long it will last with 192kbps bitrate of mp3?