The iPod nano may not sell like it used to, but that doesn't mean Apple has stopped tinkering with its tiny music player. A new photo allegedly shows a next-generation iPod nano with a rear-facing camera.
The picture on the Taiwanese blog Apple.pro shows what may be the next (7th-generation) iPod nano with a camera, which has a low-resolution, 1.3-megapixel lens, the site claims. Assuming the photo is real, the new iPod nano would retain the wristwatch-like dimensions of the 6th-gen model, but lose its predecessor's handy built-in clip.
According to Apple Insider, Apple.pro has a good track record when it comes to leaking information about unreleased iPod nanos. In 2010, for instance, the blog posted photos of a small touchscreen that later became the multi-touch display of the 6th-gen nano.
If the latest rumor is true, hopefully the new iPod nano's camera will be a significant improvement the one that came with the 5th-gen model. Macword's Dan Frakes, in his September 2010 review of the 6th-gen nano, had this to say about the earlier player's camera:
"I know I don't speak for all iPod nano owners, by in my experience both as a user and in talking with other iPod users, the 5G nano's video capabilities-both recording and watching-went unused (or at least underused) by many people. The screen was small for watching video, the camera's quality was mediocre, and the overall experience could be summed up as 'OK in a pinch.'"
In its fiscal 2011 second quarter that ended March 26, Apple sold just over 9 million iPods, a 17 percent decline from the same quarter a year ago.
Contact Jeff Bertolucci via Twitter (@jbertolucci) or at jbertolucci.blogspot.com.
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