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With Apple having just begun shipping out its new fifth-generation iPod touch and seventh-generation iPod nano, The Verge has already posted reviews of both devices, weighing the positives and negatives of the substantially redesigned iPods.

The Verge's iPod touch review notes that the device is a major upgrade over its predecessor, which essentially dated to September 2010, with across the board changes in display, processor, and camera all housed in a sleek new body.
When you finally get it out of its impossible-to-open plastic packaging, it almost feels like you left part of it behind. It really is only a quarter-inch thick, though, and it really does weigh only 3.1 ounces. Remarkably, it doesn't feel cheap or flimsy -- it's certainly a far cry from the incredible craftsmanship of the iPhone 5, but its aluminum back panel still feels quite solid and the slightly rounded edges are comfortable in your hand.
The move to using the same 4-inch display found in the iPhone 5 is a huge upgrade for the iPod touch, given that the previous model used a display that was inferior to the one used in the iPhone 4, albeit still of Retina resolution. As for the new 5-megapixel camera in the iPod touch, The Verge found that it performs adequately for still photos and "gets the job done" for 1080p video, but still falls short of even point-and-shoot camera quality.

verge_ipod_touch_2012_review.jpg
Overall, The Verge found a lot to like about the new iPod touch, but questions whether the $299 starting price is enough to really entice customers given Apple's history of positioning the device as a "gateway drug" into the iOS ecosystem.
With no cheaper entry-level option, the touch is far from an impulse purchase. Selling the last-generation model for $199 isn't a good compromise, either: it has a terrible camera, a much worse screen, and seriously outdated internals. If you're looking for a device like the iPod touch, buying this year's model is an absolute no-brainer, but I'd bet more people are going to think twice before laying out $300.
In its iPod nano review, The Verge came away noting how hard it was to write a review about a device that doesn't do much more than play audio files. The lack of support for iOS features such as iCloud syncing leaves users stuck in the traditional iPod setup of having to manage their music files via iTunes, a concept dating back over decade.
You want to listen to music with an iPod nano? Then you better get ready to open iTunes and plug in a cable and transfer some hot nasty files. It's like taking a time machine to 2010, before Apple itself started pushing everyone away from files and towards iCloud.

If you're cool with managing files, the new iPod nano is the best dedicated music player on the market. It's the sort of product that only Apple can make; a seamless slice of metal and plastic that feels essentially inevitable once you hold it.
verge_ipod_nano_2012_review.jpg
In its wrap-up, The Verge reiterates its view that the iPod nano is hampered by a lack of many of the features that have brought significant improvements to the iPhone and iPod touch, pointing to Apple's new Lightning connector as an example of missed opportunities.
When [Phil Schiller] introduced the smaller Lightning connector last month, he noted that "so many of the things we used to do over the wire, we now do wirelessly." After listing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, what did Schiller describe as "best of all"? Oh, that's right. "With iCloud, we can download all our content wirelessly." The new nano might have Apple's connector of the future, but everything else about it clings tightly to the past -- to a world in which iTunes is still the center of the digital media universe, not a bloated relic badly in need of a fresh start and new ideas.
When it comes down to it, The Verge suggests that the iPod nano's $149 price tag will limit its market to those consumers interested in the cheapest available iPod with a screen or for whom size and weight is a major consideration, with a $50 jump to the fourth-generation iPod touch making more sense for many consumers.

Article Link: Reviews of the Fifth-Generation iPod Touch and Seventh-Generation iPod Nano
 
i was expecting much better for the new Nano

i'll pass on it

also just bought the iPhone 5, so i doesn't make sense to buy the Touch

i was looking for an iPod in order to listen to music on it instead of on my iPhone to save its battery, but definitely, there will be not iPod for me this year

or maybe the old iPod Touch
 
iPod Nano Fail

The iPod Nano was actually much cooler when it was small and you could use it like a watch. Actually I think they should have made it even smaller and more watch-like. I wouldn't be surprised if the Nano line is totally killed off next year...Apple has run out of ideas for it.
 
For me, no doubts I probably be getting the iPod Touch, its been two years since I bought the 4 and the battery is shot. And who can say no to a bigger screen?

As for the nano, I got the 6th generation which I think is much better than the current one. The round icons, seems very out of place in iOS or even Apple design philosophy. Besides, I hardly even use my nano, hopefully they will get more use when I get the new earpods. And, do I need another wifi-only device?

The iPod touch is priced way to high, $299 for a device with last years specs? I don't think so

I agree. Last year model is basically the same one that came out 2 years ago. It's nice there is a chip upgrade, at the very least.
 
I'm so happy they put color into these. Sure, they might look like kids toys, but they remind me of the colored iMac's which I love.
 
They should take the old Nano design, slim it a bit further, and make it the new Shuffle.

They also definitely need a wider price gap.
 
The iPod Nano was actually much cooler when it was small and you could use it like a watch. Actually I think they should have made it even smaller and more watch-like. I wouldn't be surprised if the Nano line is totally killed off next year...Apple has run out of ideas for it.

This upgrade has me surprised. This nano would have been cool 3 or 4 years ago, but now it is an in-between device which doesn't really answer anything. It is not an iTouch mini (can't run Apps), it is not a tiny iPod anymore (how cool was the watch?).
 
For me, no doubts I probably be getting the iPod Touch, its been two years since I bought the 4 and the battery is shot. And who can say no to a bigger screen?

As for the nano, I got the 6th generation which I think is much better than the current one. The round icons, seems very out of place in iOS or even Apple design philosophy. Besides, I hardly even use my nano, hopefully they will get more use when I get the new earpods. And, do I need another wifi-only device?



I agree. Last year model is basically the same one that came out 2 years ago. It's nice there is a chip upgrade, at the very least.

It may seem minor, but the round icons bug me too. Good design is all about consistency across the brand. Why suddenly alter the icon look for a single product? Makes no sense.
 
The iPod touch is priced way to high, $299 for a device with last years specs? I don't think so

It isn't really. You have to remember that the iPhone is subsidized, so when you compare the $300 price tag to the iPhone's real price, which is $700, it's not a bad price for what it is.
 
Can you use iTunes Match with the new iPod nano? That would make it an instant purchase for me.
 
The iPod Nano was actually much cooler when it was small and you could use it like a watch. Actually I think they should have made it even smaller and more watch-like. I wouldn't be surprised if the Nano line is totally killed off next year...Apple has run out of ideas for it.

Smart watch iPod Nano is still the best on the market!
 
They changed the home button on the iPod Nano ???? Also, this new design looks like the generics Mp10 players.
 
This upgrade has me surprised. This nano would have been cool 3 or 4 years ago, but now it is an in-between device which doesn't really answer anything. It is not an iTouch mini (can't run Apps), it is not a tiny iPod anymore (how cool was the watch?).

Totally agree, the watch strap is amazing.
If you want to watch videos you can do it on the phone, which you would normally have with you anyway. The nano was sold as a great "running" iPod thanks to the stopwatch, radio, Nike+, etc, even with the watch faces from the last update, this is a step backwards.
 
I'm not a huge fan of the new nano, i love my nano wrist watch. But it iPod Touch looks incredible. If I had a non iOS smart phone, I would probably buy one in a heartbeat.
 
Both these products are horrible.

Apple is making it very hard for me to spend my money at the moment!
 
Seriously, what's up with the circular icons and circle on the home button for the Nano? This is such a stray from branding for Apple that it's shocking.
 
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