Apple iPod nano (5th gen, with video camera) review

Apple iPod nano (5th gen, with video camera) Review

Reviewed by: Nate Lanxon

Reviewed on: 14 September 2009

With the introduction of several capabilities we never thought we'd see in an iPod nano, Apple's fifth-generation model is the most feature-packed since the device was launched in 2005.

The latest nano comes in two storage capacities -- 8GB for £115 and 16GB for £135 -- and nine resplendent colours. Eagle-eyed readers will notice the 8GB model is £6 more expensive than last year's model, while the 16GB version is £14 cheaper.

Hardware boost
At 6mm thick, the fifth-generation nano is just as thin as ever. With this in mind, it's perhaps even more impressive that Apple has managed to squeeze a video camera into the chassis, along with a slightly larger LCD display. This 56mm (2.2-inch) display, running at 240x376-pixels, is the largest, highest-resolution screen any nano has ever had. Compared to the OLED screens used in costly new MP3 players from Cowon and Sony, its colours aren't as rich when playing video. But, for the price, it's still one of the best displays on the market.

Apple explicitly named the popular Flip Video camcorders as the inspiration for the nano's adoption of video recording. What's odd is the video camera's placement. The lens sits on the opposite side of the player to the click wheel -- exactly where your hand spends most of its time. In our first few hours with the player, this took some serious getting used to. In fact, we'd go so far as to say it's in the worst possible place.

The video camera's lens couldn't be in a more awkward position

The lens is almost certainly placed where it is because, internally, there was nowhere else that provided enough space to graft a camera in. We found it best to hold the nano horizontally when filming, with the click wheel on the left and LCD display on the right. Then we held the player on the right-hand side so the lens could film unobstructed on the far left. Annoyingly, you can't listen to music while recording video.

Aside from the screen, video camera and much glossier finish on the nano's chassis, little else has changed. It's just as light and ludicrously simple to operate as previous versions. Apple's click wheel makes browsing large music libraries easier than it is with offerings from rival companies.

Attractive, simple interface
Similarly, no rival MP3 player makes browsing music as visually appealing an experience. Inventive use of cover art throughout the music menus makes the simple interface more attractive than that of most other players, and the Cover Flow browsing feature -- activated automatically when you hold the nano horizontally -- is an intuitive and fun way to sift through a large collection of digital music. Apple even offers free, high-resolution album artwork through iTunes, making sure your music has the correct cover art attached to it.

Our readers have made it plain that FM radio has been a much-missed feature on all iPods. The fifth-generation nano is the first version to incorporate it inside the player itself. In addition to letting you listen to FM radio, you can also pause and rewind up to 15 minutes of it. The interface is as lush as you would expect from Apple. After hitting the pause button, the nano continues to listen to and record whatever frequency you're tuned into. Hit pause again and it continues from where you left off. You can also skip forwards and backwards through however much of the broadcast you've recorded. Unlike on some players, however, you can't save these recordings as an audio file.