The death of the dedicated audio player has been greatly exaggerated. There are plenty of people who still want to play music from a source that isn’t their smartphone. Certainly fitness enthusiasts will be fond of the iPod Nano’s Nike+ integration. But even if you’re not a runner and would rather hit the weights, you’ll likely be fond of the Nano’s diminutive size as alluded to by its name. It’s small enough to slip into a pocket, even the smaller zippered pockets on a pair of running shorts. But the other reason you might want to listen on a dedicated audio player is to save battery life on your smartphone.
The current Nano, which is in its 7th generation, has been out for a few years now, but Apple hasn’t revised its design since its original 2013 launch. There are numerous colour options now available including blue, silver, gold, space grey, pink and red after the introduction of a few new shades this year.
The 2.5in touchscreen is multitouch, and the iPod has obligatory Bluetooth, so you can use wireless headphones. Another coup for the fitness inclined. The whole thing is just 5.4mm thick and it weighs just 31g, so you can fit it almost anywhere. There’s no clip on the back, so it’s not quite as well suited to sporty users as the previous version. However, most people will be pleased with the improved movie viewing experience provided by the display’s 240x432 widescreen aspect ratio.