Apple iPod nano (2nd generation, 4GB) review

The nano's packaging is admirably small, cutting down on both materials used in making it and the waste from its disposal. Full marks to Apple for thinking about the environment

Features
The 2G nano is light on extras, though its small, excellently designed packaging includes all that you might need for basic use: a dock adaptor, a USB cable for syncing/charging, a pair of white earbuds and a quick-start guide. You'll have to download iTunes from the Web, since Apple doesn't include a disc in the box -- a forgivable omission, considering that it cuts down on use of materials for packaging.

If you want to listen to FM radio on the nano, you'll need to pick up Apple's £35 Radio Remote (or similar accessory). Similarly, recording features require a separate accessory, such as Belkin's TuneTalk. It'd be a nice surprise if Apple would include such features in an iPod, but at least it's nice that you have the option to add them. Features the nano does have built in are photo viewing (with a neat 3x3 thumbnail preview grid) and album art support. Video playback is conspicuously absent, as many nano competitors offer it (the Creative Zen V Plus, iRiver Clix and SanDisk Sansa e200 series, to name a few). But we're not sure we'd want to watch video on the tiny screen anyway. The 2G nano is finally capable of gapless playback, but that must be designated in iTunes 7.

The latest version of iTunes is a nice improvement over version 6. As far as the 2G nano is concerned, iTunes continues to make iPod's usability excellent. As long as the software is installed, all you need to do is connect the nano to your computer, and you're ready to roll. You can then choose whether you want automatic or manual syncing, the latter of which is necessary if you intend to sync with more than one library. Naturally, the nano is compatible with protected AAC files purchased from the iTunes Music Store -- it also plays MP3, AAC lossless, AIFF, WAV, and Audible files.

Performance
We're pleased to note that Apple had a stab at the original nano's rather paltry 12-hour battery life, doubling that rating to a respectable 24 hours (check back for lab test results). As far as sound quality is concerned, we couldn't notice a difference between the old nano and the 2G -- it still sounds excellent across nearly all genres of music. Bass response could be tighter, and we didn't think the included earbuds sounded that great, but they're certainly passable (the design seems more ergonomically sound than earlier ones). We had some mixed results with gapless playback -- albums transferred from a Windows machine still had hiccups, while those from a Mac were seamless -- but this is likely to be an iTunes issue, rather than a nano one. Navigation was super-speedy, thanks to a fast processor, and photos loaded quickly.

The 2G nano doesn't really bring anything new to the table in the fast-advancing world of MP3 players, but the improvements over the original are certainly welcome. This player is sure to be a top choice among a wide range of users, and it's a stellar option for first-timers. Just make sure you're aware that the same £169 you would pay for an 8GB nano will get you a larger but video-capable 30GB iPod.

Edited by James Kim
Additional editing by Elizabeth Griffin