Apple iPod nano (3rd gen, video) review

Performance
Despite the major interface overhaul, the iPod nano's sound quality still sounds just middle-of-the-road. Although middling sound quality doesn't seem to affect iPod sales, you'd think Apple would eventually address this chink in the iPod's armour, if only out of pride. Users do get more than 20 equalisation presets to choose from, ranging from subtle enhancement to dramatic bass boosting.

Compared to products such as the Creative Zen V Plus, the Cowon iAudio 7, or the Toshiba Gigabeat U, however, the iPod's sound quality still leaves room for improvement. That said, after listening with our Ultrasone HFI-700 headphones as well as a set of Shure SE310 earphones, we can say with confidence that the nano's fidelity will certainly satisfy most users.

Much to our surprise, the nano's video performance stole the show. We were highly sceptical that we'd enjoy watching video on a 51mm screen, yet the nano's superfine 204ppi screen looked refreshingly sharp and bright. We still prefer the video experience of a larger player such as the affordable Archos 405, but it's not far-fetched to imagine watching a full-length movie on the nano.

Battery life was a big bragging right for the second-generation nano. If Apple's current battery life estimates hold true, users can expect to squeeze an admirable 24 hours of audio playback and five hours of video playback from the latest generation. We'll update this review with our test results as soon as they're available.

No iPod review would be complete without mentioning Apple's iTunes music software. For better or worse, the integration between an iPod and Apple's iTunes music software is nearly airtight.

If this is going to be your first iPod, it's worthwhile to download iTunes ahead of time to see if it works well on your computer and is intuitive for you to use. You should also be aware that most of the music and movies available for purchase on the iTunes online store will play only in iTunes or on an authorised iPod and cannot be transferred to a non-Apple MP3 player.

Conclusion
Considering that the iPod classic and the iPod nano are now nearly identical aside from storage capacity and screen size, the nano is less a product unto itself and much more like a 'light' version of the iPod classic.

Existing nano owners drawn to the previous nano's less-is-more appeal enjoyed not worrying about the tiny screen getting scratched if it took a tumble onto the floor and may be turned off by the need treat the device more carefully. We also found the new nano's wider form less comfortable in the fist than the previous generation, making it awkward for jogging without an armband or a pocket.

We expect that this nano will appeal more to existing iPod users looking to replace their decaying third-, fourth- and fifth-generation hard-drive iPods with something smaller, cheaper and leaner. Of course, the nano would be more appealing all the way around if Apple would just make a 16GB version.

Available from AdvancedMP3Players. 

Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday