When the fifth-generation iPod Nano debuted to the world, the audience had one thing in mind: Flip Killer. Of course, simply adding a camcorder feature to a music player doesn’t immediately endow it with the honor.
Physically, the player looks about the same. The metallic paint job looks flashier than previous Nanos and it’s rather appealing. Some changes are easily apparent in the Nano’s hardware, though. The screen has grown a bit (from 2 inches to 2.2 inches) and it has received a few pleasant additions, including a pedometer, an FM tuner, a voice recorder, speakers and, of course, the video camera.
The video camera is placed in an insanely awkward manner, right on the lower right corner. I’m not digging the location, as it’s prone to being touched regularly (dirtying up the lens in the process). Capture quality is decent enough at VGA resolution and 30 fps. However, with neither autofocus, optical zoom or that good of an image stabilization module, video isn’t up to par with the more popular VGA pocket camcorders on the market. While the color is adequately managed, the overall footages are a little grainy and moving subjects are a bit jarring. Recorded audio is accurate, but lacks detail.
Playing back the recording on the Nano is great, as the screen is bright and sharp, with excellent color. Audio playback over the integrated speakers is pretty bad, but it still manages the same great sound over a good pair of headphones. The pedometer is great, taking accurate measurements for casual fitness requirements. It’s no pro athlete fare, but it will do.
Overall, the new iPod Nano is a joke when referred to as a Flip Killer. Sure, it can manage video, but it doesn’t do it any better the existing crop of pocket camcorders out there. It’s a nice extra feature, but no one’s going to be buying an iPod Nano for that.
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