Suggests switch to touchscreen

Several new accessories on sale appear to reinforce the notion of a radically redesigned iPod nano. One Chinese vendor, Orient King, is selling silicone cases for what it claims to be the next-generation Nano. These resemble cases put out by another Chinese vendor, X-Doria; in both instances a prominent gap is left up front, presumably to accommodate a touchscreen, given the lack of space for other controls.

A company called Jiangmen VIPO Electronic Technology is meanwhile selling a Nano screen protector. The product is roughly the same size as the gap in the silicone cases, and may make the most sense on a touch-based device. A mockup depicts a Touch-like device running iOS, but while perhaps close to the real thing is still speculative.

Notably, both the Orient King and X-Doria cases feature cutouts big enough for a 30-pin dock connector. If the gear does indeed represent Apple's plans for a new Nano, the player should be Apple's smallest ever to support the 30-pin format, also used on the iPod classic, the iPhone and the iPad. The current iPod shuffle is too small to fit such a wide connector.

by MacNN Staff