The introduction of the iPod in 2001 was a turning point for Apple and the music industry.
From 2001 to 2007, iPod sales were brisk, and Apple was making a ton of money from iPod and music sales. But those were the days before every cell phone had the ability to play music.
Now the iPod business model is in decline.
Apple has released several types of iPods over the years. It started with the “traditional” iPod, which is about the size of a deck of cards and has a click wheel. This model is still available in the iPod Classic, a design last updated in 2007.
Then Apple introduced iPods of differing sizes, starting with the iPod Mini, which eventually became the iPod Nano.
After the iPhone’s introduction, Apple released the iPod Touch, which had almost all the features of the iPhone except the ability to make calls. The Touch brought the App marketplace, including games, to the iPod.
Every year, usually in September, the iPod line has been updated, and 2012 is no exception.
This year Apple introduced an iPod Nano that moves away from the small, square touch-screen design in favor of a larger, business-card-size model.
Likewise, the Touch got its biggest-ever redesign, borrowing from the new design of the iPhone 5.
iPod Nano
The Nano was the first iPod to come in different colors. This year, the colors are slate (black), silver, purple, pink, yellow, green, blue and red.
Gone is the handy clip that was a favorite among the fitness crowd. Also gone is the tiny square touch screen. The 2012 Nano’s screen is now a 2.5-inch 16:9 format multi-touch display. Apple has brought back the ability to watch movies.
I can’t tell you I’d look forward to watching a movie on a screen that small, but on a plane or long car trip, it would be a fine diversion.
The Nano is 3.01 inches by 1.56 inches and 0.21 inches thick. It weighs 1.1 ounces.
The biggest change is the addition of Bluetooth. With a growing number of cars and headphones using Bluetooth, it’s great that the Nano can now transmit the music wirelessly.
The fitness crowd will still find Nike+ compatibility and a built-in pedometer. The Bluetooth also works with many heart-rate monitors.
An often-overlooked feature is FM radio, which makes the Nano a popular choice for sports fans who like to listen to play-by-play.
The Nano is even a tiny recorder. A feature called Live Pause lets you pause live radio for up to 15 minutes and then continue playback like a DVR.
Battery life is 30 hours for music playback and 3.5 hours of video watching.
The Nano gets Apple’s new EarPods and Lightning connector.
I find the EarPods comfortable. They produce nice sound, including a surprising amount of bass.
They don’t create a seal in your ear like many earbuds, so you’re not so isolated. The music is clear, but outside sounds are not sealed out.
This can be a good thing for joggers or pedestrians who might be able to hear an approaching bus a bit earlier.
Like the iPhone 5, the Nano has the Lightning connector and headphone jack on the bottom, but they are separated by a small, white plastic panel hiding the Bluetooth antenna.
The Nano has only one configuration — 16 gigabytes for $149.
• Pros: Bigger screen, video playback.
• Cons: Not as “wearable” as the previous model.
• Bottom line: Not sure whom the Nano is targeting. It’s a capable little iPod, if you don’t need to use apps.
• Price: $149 for 16 GB.
• On the Web: www.apple.com/ipod-nano .
iPod Touch
The Touch has looked pretty much the same since its introduction in 2007. It looked like the iPhone of the time.
The 2012 iPod Touch has been redesigned to bring it more in line with the iPhone 5.
When you pick up the new Touch, you immediately notice its thinness.
The body is machined from a single piece of aluminum, like the unibody Macbook Pros.
Measuring 4.86 inches by 2.31 inches by 0.24 inches and weighing 3.1 ounces, the new Touch is a little too thin and light for my big hands.
If I’d been in charge of Apple design, I’d have made it a few millimeters thicker and used that space to increase battery life.
Speaking of battery, the Touch can play music for 40 hours and play back video for eight hours. It’s got Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.
The display is the same 4-inch 16:9 ratio retina display that’s used in the iPhone 5 with a resolution of 1136 by 640 pixels.
The cameras were upgraded, as well. The rear camera is a 5-megapixel model with LED flash and a five-element f/2.4 lens. It has face detection and the panorama mode you’ve seen on the commercials. It records HD video at 1080p at 30 frames per second. The front-facing camera is now 720p HD for much clearer FaceTime chats.
Like the iPhone 5, the new Touch has the headphone jack and Lightning connector on the bottom, along with a speaker that won’t win any prizes for sound quality.
In a strange and not-at-all Apple-like design twist, the new Touch includes a wrist loop that attaches to a small spring-loaded post.
Quick tip: In camera mode, the “up” volume button on the Touch’s side acts as a shutter button.
Available in several colors, the Touch comes in two storage configurations — 32 gigabytes for $299 and 64 gigabytes for $399.
• Pros: Gorgeous screen, sturdy body, excellent camera
• Cons: Too thin and light for big hands.
• Bottom line: If you’re a Touch fan, this one brings all the new goodies.
It’s perfect for kids who want to play games.
• Price: $299 for 32 GB; $399 for 64 GB
• On the Web: www.apple.com/ipod-touch