Apple iPod nano (5th Gen) | Reviews | Techie.com.ph
4:57 PM | Monday | 03 January 2020

Ever since it replaced the iPod mini in Apple's media player roundup, the nano has undergone annual makeovers that, from a consumer's standpoint, keep improving the performance/price ratio of the product. Okay, except the square-shaped 3rd-generation nano. Consider that a hiccup. A developmental bump on the road to gadget perfection. This latest nano, however, comes pretty darn close.

Skin deep

The new nano has a slick, seamless, and anodized aluminum exterior that's as sophisticated as the circuitry contained within. The LCD has been bumped up by just a fraction of an inch (0.2 inches), but the added 56-pixel real estate really makes a marked difference when compared to its predecessor. The tradeoff, of course, is the smaller click wheel, which one gets accustomed to right away.

Believe the hype

The most talked-about feature of the nano is it's video recorder. Despite it's oddly positioned lens, which may be better located on the upper right of the device, behind the LCD and not the click-wheel (the potentiometer automatically levels the image, so flipping the nano 180 degrees helps take care of this niggle), video quality is impressive.

The nano is also loaded with a bunch of filters that give a real-time preview. From film-noir grain to LSD-trip distortion, the nano's got it covered. The menu system makes everything quick and intuitive, perfect for capturing casual videos and incidental footage. For those who are obsessive-compulsive when it comes to storage space, every 3 seconds or so of video takes up 1 megabyte – perfectly acceptable considering the quality.

Playback on the nano is smooth and only limited by the small screen and tiny built-in speaker. Using iPhoto, videos can be categorized, then uploaded to sites such as YouTube and Facebook, sharing the experience and the laughs with friends and loved ones.

The return of radio

Other improvements that Apple has engineered into this latest nano is an FM radio that, get this, you can pause for a few moments. Reception was clear for the most part, though just like some mobile phones, headphones need to be plugged in, doing double duty as an antenna. This is fine as the built-in speaker can't pump up the jams loud enough anyway.

Another miniscule niggle is that the FM radio's virtual dial doesn't loop. In other words, to get from 88.3 to 107.5 requires a bit of clockwise click-wheel action, instead of a small counterclockwise nudge.

Another step further

Learning some lessons from their partnership with Nike and the Nike+ iPod project, Apple has equipped the nano with a pedometer that also counts calories burned. Daily targets can also be set, and the nano keeps track of previous walkathons as well. There is also an option, via iTunes, to send this workout data to the Nike+ website. The pedometer isn't 100% accurate, though, and its functionality is limited when compared to a proper Nike+ sportskit and iPod, or a Nike+ sportsband combo. It still serves as a quick guide to how many approximate calories you burn during daily activities.

The last word

This latest incarnation of the nano has so much going for it. New (and unique) features, copious amounts of storage, and attractive pricing make it one of the must-buy gadgets of 2009. What more do you need to validate a purchase?