iPod nano 6th Generation (2010): History and Specs
Square, clip-on and touch-controlled
Shown on 1 September 2010 and shipped the following week, the sixth-generation iPod nano replaced the Click Wheel with a Multi-Touch display. According to Apple, it had nearly half the size and weight of the fifth generation. The square aluminium-and-glass body measured 37.5 × 40.9 × 8.78 mm including a built-in clip on the back, and weighed 21.1 g. The 1.54-inch colour TFT screen had 240 × 240 pixels at 220 ppi. Prices were US$149 for 8GB and US$179 for 16GB, in silver, graphite, blue, green, orange and pink, with (PRODUCT) RED versions of both available only from Apple's online and retail stores.
Gestures and features
Music was browsed by tapping and swiping. Holding a finger on the screen returned to the Home screen, a two-finger twist rotated the display when the player was clipped on upside down, and icons could be dragged into a new order. The physical controls were a Sleep/Wake button and volume buttons. Features included Genius Mixes, playlist editing, Shake to Shuffle, an FM radio whose Live Pause could rewind within a 15-minute buffer, a pedometer with Nike + iPod support and the VoiceOver screen reader. Music playback was rated at up to 24 hours per charge, and recharging took about three hours. Charging and syncing used the 30-pin dock connector and a USB cable.
What was left out
The fifth generation's video camera and speaker were not carried over, and the new nano could neither play video nor run games. Reviewing it for Macworld on 7 September 2010, Dan Frakes noted that the clip made it the thickest nano so far, at 0.35 inch. He criticised the lack of physical playback buttons, gestures that sometimes triggered unintended actions and a screen that showed only about three and a half list entries at a time.
Software update and successor
On 4 October 2011 Apple cut the prices to US$129 for 8GB and US$149 for 16GB and released new software with larger icons, 16 new clock faces and a fitness feature that tracked walks and runs, recording time, pace, distance, calories and steps without an extra sensor. The seventh-generation iPod nano replaced the model on 12 September 2012.
Specifications
| Announced | 1 September 2010; shipped the following week |
|---|---|
| Launch price (US) | US$149 (8 GB), US$179 (16 GB) |
| Capacity | 8 GB or 16 GB flash memory |
| Display | 1.54-inch Multi-Touch colour display, 240 × 240 pixels at 220 ppi |
| Battery | Up to 24 hours of music |
| Extras | FM radio with Live Pause, accelerometer and pedometer, built-in clip |
| Connectors | Dock connector, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Size | 37.5 × 40.9 × 8.78 mm including clip (1.48 × 1.61 × 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 21.1 g (0.74 oz) |
| Colours | Silver, graphite, blue, green, orange or pink; (PRODUCT) RED from Apple only |
| Works with | OS X 10.5.8 or later; Windows 7, Vista or XP (SP3); iTunes 10 |
| Model number | A1366 |
Figures from Apple's published technical specifications. Where Apple lists only inches and ounces, metric values are converted and rounded.
How to identify it
- A small square with a touchscreen and a clip on the back — no Click Wheel.
- Volume buttons on the top edge.
- Model number A1366; six colours plus (PRODUCT) RED.
Where to find the model number and serial number: how to identify a used iPod.