New Photos of Camera-Equipped iPod Nano Casing Surface

[MacRumors]

Last April, Taiwanese site Apple.pro posted a photo of what appeared to be an iPod nano with a hole in the rear casing that was said to be for a camera. A second photo showing the casing from the other side surfaced a month later, appearing to show a clipless design for the device and claiming that it would carry a 1.3-megapixel camera.

Apple ultimately made no changes to the design of the iPod nano in September of last year, instead opting to update the software and lower pricing on the 8 GB and 16 GB models. But the idea of a camera-equipped iPod nano was revived in November with the publication of a May 2010 patent application on speaker design that appeared to show a hole in the iPod nano's clip in the same location as the rumored camera hole seen in the leaked photos.




Apple.pro now reports [Google translation] that a series of new photos have surfaced showing this camera-enabled iPod nano casing in even more detail. The new photos clearly show the device retaining its clip-on design with a metal housing for a camera assembly protruding from the back of the main case and sitting flush with a hole in the device's clip.




The design would allow Apple to squeeze a camera into the current diminutive form factor of the iPod nano by moving much of the lens and sensor hardware outside of the main casing but still within the overall device envelope by utilizing a small portion of the gap between the device and the clip.




Given that this design for a camera-equipped iPod nano has been floating around for some time and did not make an appearance during last October's update, it is unclear whether the design is still in the works for Apple or if it has been scrapped for some reason. The company had previously introduced a low-resolution video-only camera on the previous iPod nano form factor, but removed the feature when it redesigned the device with a smaller, iPod shuffle-like form factor in 2010.




An Apple patent application filed in late 2009 also suggests that Apple has an interest in equipping the current iPod nano design with a camera, offering it as one example of an environmental sensor that could be used to allow the device to display screen savers and other content that relate to the device's environment such as the current weather or other factors.

Article Link: New Photos of Camera-Equipped iPod Nano Casing Surface

[captmatt]

Smart use of the gap between the case and the clip. I wonder how low resolution though?

I don't know about the form factor and ease of use as a camera. It'd be hard to hold steady.

[HarryKeogh]

Finally, I can take .5 megapixel pictures while I'm jogging or on the treadmill!

[gpsouza]

Simply awful.

[ghostface147]

I wonder how many people actually use the camera in their properly equipped Nano. I wouldn't think they're very good.

[nwcs]

The next generation of spy cams for average people I suppose...

[Caliber26]

Personally, I wish they'd go back to this:

[ECUpirate44]

It would make no sense for Apple to do this when the iPod Touch accounts for over half of all iPod sales. With the rise in popularity of the iPhone and iPad, the iPod, especially the nano and classic, are clearly on the way out.

[Steve121178]

I hate that stupid little nano.

I still use my 5G version, the last decent nano...

[Wurm5150]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I'd rather the iPod Nano have a front facing camera.

- Dick Tracy

[Memo86]

Originally Posted by Caliber26

Personally, I wish they'd go back to this:

Image

Me too

[madgamer7]

A back camera on that thing seems totally useless. If they added a front camera that would be different. Imagine an official watch case for it allowing you to FaceTime with your watch! Futuristic!

[arbitter]

Wouldn't make much sense putting a camera in the back of the nano; it's meant to be clipped on something. Otherwise you would have to unclick it, try to make a photo while keeping this tiny thing steady... Nah, I don't buy it.

[Kid A]

Originally Posted by Caliber26

Personally, I wish they'd go back to this:

Image

i wish they'd retire the clunky classic and revive the old nano design, and just call it iPod or iPod classic. either cram that thing full of flash memory (like 128 GB), add wi-fi syncing & iCloud support, or both.

that form factor was always the most striking and iconic IMO, as far as iPods go. and i'm kinda sad i never really had a need for one.

[guzhogi]

Originally Posted by madgamer7

A back camera on that thing seems totally useless. If they added a front camera that would be different. Imagine an official watch case for it allowing you to FaceTime with your watch! Futuristic!

Originally Posted by Wurm5150

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I'd rather the iPod Nano have a front facing camera.

- Dick Tracy

As stated by Wurm5150, Dick Tracy already had something like that.

[noisycats]

Originally Posted by Caliber26

Personally, I wish they'd go back to this:

Image

True. The best Nano by far.

[blizaine]

I would much rather them add support for Bluetooth Stereo Audio.

[wickerman1893]

This could be useful for short quick pictures on the go or something. I can't see it being used as an every day camera however.

[WLS]

I don't like it but I wouldn't say a camera on the back makes no sense. In use you would have to look at the screen to see what the camera sees, so it has to be on the side opposite the screen - you would have to unclip it to use it. But that still is a pretty useless camera. I think it was one of those fake projects to flush out leakers.

[Roessnakhan]

I'd want to see bluetooth, maybe some integration with the iPhone (like the motoACTV with Android devices), and WiFi syncing before I'd want a camera.

[Mr. Gates]

Gee , that ain't stupid at all

[tremlock]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A406)

Can't wait for the ones released in China with the camera taken out!

[BobbyRond]

Originally Posted by Caliber26

Personally, I wish they'd go back to this:

Image

I fear that all clickwheel-based iPods will be gone someday. Although touch-based input is a good alternative, it seems a waste to abandon this interface. Maybe I'm being nostalgic here, but I would rather see the 5G Nano and the Classic get an all-time low price point, in stead of all iPods (except the Touch) disappearing.

[brianus]

Neither a front nor a back camera make any sense on this device, considering it was intended to be wearable (and it lacks network connectivity so it's not like you'd be FaceTiming on it or something).

An edge camera, however, would be somewhat useful. If it was clipped to a lapel or collar you'd have to angle it slightly to see what you were shooting at on the screen, so you'd be pointing horizontally from one of the edges while viewing the touch surface; and obviously for those who wear it as a wristwatch, the side is the only logical place for the lens.

[penajmz]

If you look at the second image it doesn't seem like the two pieces fit.