Amidst the brouhaha of Wednesdays ’s announcement of the iPod nano , most mass — peculiarly those of us lucky enough to see the new player in soul — were enthralled by just how incredibly modest , yet full - feature , the nano is . But as the initial turmoil take place , the query many people are likely to be asking is this : “ Will theiPod accessoriesI already own , or the 1 currently on the marketplace , work with the nano ? ” Playlist has spent the past span days with a unexampled nano ( hold in out Chris Breen’sFirst Look ) , and here ’s what we can tell you .
Ports and connections
Like its iPod mini predecessor , the nano includes Apple ’s proprietary dock connecter port , which means that it should act upon with most dock - connector accessories that forge with the iPod miniskirt ( more details on specific supplement below ) . The nano also includes a received headphone minijack . However , it does not let in the remote jack found on full - size of it and miniskirt models .
Power/chargers
Power - related supplement , such as elevator car chargers , international barrage , and Apple ’s USB charger — all of which plug into to dockable iPods via the dock connector embrasure — should be fully compatible with the nano .
Speakers
We ’ve tested the nano with a good figure of iPod verbalizer systems , and in our testing , speakers that get their audio from the loading dock connector — such as Bose’sSoundDock , Logitech’smm50 , JBL’sOn Stage , Altec Lansing’sinMotionmodels , Klipsch’siFi , and even iHome Audio’siH5 clock radio — mold with the iPod nano just as they do with other dockable iPods ; audio is top to the speakers as expected . In addition , on those systems with a wireless distant control , the remote control also controls the nano ’s playback , just as it does with mini and full - size iPods .
There are , however , two caveats here : The first is that since the nano ’s dock port wine is off - center , the nano sits off - center when connected to these loudspeaker system systems ( or when sit in any dock - provenance accessory , for that matter ) . The second is that most of these speaker system do not currently include a “ dock cradle insert ” specifically for the iPod nano , although we expect many vendors to put up such adapters soon . ( See “ The mysterious Dock Adapter , ” below , for more on dock cradles for the nano . ) That being said , because the iPod nano is so light — it press only 1.5 ounces — the dock connecter itself should be stiff enough to concord the player upright , at least until speaker vendors supply an “ official ” place of origin inset .
The iPod nano in Bose ’s SoundDock
Of course , any speaker organization that connect via a stock headphone seafarer is also fully compatible with the iPod nano ; JBL’sOn Touris an specially nice portable match . ( As a side note , if the nano ’s bottom - put on headphone gob were revolve about , PodGear’sShuffle Stationwould have been a in force match for the iPod nano than for the shuffle — the make presently has to be connected upside - down . Alas , the nano ’s jack is far enough off to the side that the nano does n’t fit between the Shuffle Station ’s speakers . )
Remote controls
This is one area in which the iPod nano do up short compared to the iPod miniskirt it replaces : The nano is miss the remote mastery jack found on mini and full - size of it iPod models , so accessories that rely on that jackass are unsuited with the nano . This rules out all of the standalone remote command accessories currently on the market .
However , in our examination , Cartesian product that provide distant control functionality via the iPod ’s dock connector port — such as many of the iPod speaker systems mentioned above , as well as “ combo ” products such as Kensington’sStereo Dock — dowork with the nano . We suspect that it wo n’t be long before a number of vendors harbinger dock - connector - based outside controls similar to the Stereo Dock .
The iPod nano in Kensington ’s Stereo Dock
FM transmitters
There are currently three case of FM transmitters for the iPod , disagree mainly in how they link up to the player . Those that connect via a dock connector fireplug ( such as Kensington’sDigital FM Transmitter / Auto Charger ) or a stock headphone miniplug ( such as Belkin’sTuneCast II ) are , in our testing , fully compatible with the nano . On the other script , those that connect to the headphone / outback jack on mini and received iPods ( such as Griffin’siTrip LCDand Xtreme Mac’sAirPlay ) are incompatible due to the deficiency of this jack .
Photo accessories
Although the nano has a coloring material screen like full - size of it “ color ” iPods , and can store and expose photos from your iPhoto Library , it does n’t allow you to upload pic forthwith . In other Son , the nano is incompatible with Apple’siPod Camera Connector , as well as Belkin’sDigital Camera LinkandMedia Reader . To get exposure on your iPod nano , you need to enable photograph syncing from within iTunes .
Similarly , unlike full - size colour / photo iPods , the iPod nano does n’t support presenting photos on a television — the nano ’s headphone jack is audio - only . ( The headphone jack on color / picture iPods is really an audio - TV combo jak . ) Thus , accessories that allow you to touch base your full - size color iPod to a television — such as Apple ’s ownAV Cableanddock for color iPods , PodsPlus’Dock with Video Out , and Boxwave’siPod Photo AV miniSync — will not provide TV connectivity . ( However , their audio and charging / syncing features should work ok . )
Voice recorders
Because the iPod nano does n’t feature the remote / earphone jack used by all of the voice transcription accessory currently on the market , none of these products will puzzle out with the nano . However , ourFirst Looknoted an interesting find we made while putting the nano through its Diagnostic Screen rate : The nano includes a “ LineIn ” test — something previously determine only on full - size iPods , suggesting that unlike the iPod mini , the nano at least has theabilityto record audio . If this is indeed the case , voice recorders for the nano will probably need to connect via the nano ’s dock connective port .
Headphones
The iPod nano is superposable to other iPods with respect to headphones : Any earpiece that use a stock 1/8″ stereoscopic photograph miniplug will forge with the iPod nano . Those with 1/4″ stereoscopic picture plug need a 1/8″ adapter .
Cases
For obvious reasons , none of the current offerings in this class are compatible with the nano ; you ’ll have to wait for vendors to ship Modern cases specifically made for this model . Among the first to announce such cases are TuneWear , whichannounceda nano version of their IceWear grammatical case earlier today , and Apple , which announce their own nano cases at the same time as the participant itself . ( See below for more on Apple ’s nano add-on . )
TuneWear ’s IceWear for iPod nano
Sync cables and other dock-connector accessories
The iPod nano uses the same wharfage connector port as the iPod mini and full - size iPod models , but the nano ’s sync functionality differs in one significant way : Although it can both sync with your information processing system and charge up via a USB connectedness , when connected via FireWire the nano charges but does n’t synchronise . So FireWire - based dock connective cables and other “ docking ” accessory that connect to your reckoner via FireWire will not be able-bodied to synchronise your iPod nano with iTunes . This is a shame , considering that FireWire 400 is firm than USB 2.0 . It ’s also peculiarly dissatisfactory for proprietor of sr. Macintosh computer , many of which have FireWire port but no USB 2.0 port — their USB port are of the deadening 1.1 specification .
Other dock connector accessory should function as expected . For instance , with the exception of FireWire synchronise , SendStation’sPocketDockadapters make as expected : Their USB port bill and synchronize the nano , their FireWire ports charge it , and their audio line - out jacks indeed supply a line - stratum audio sign unaffected by the nano ’s volume control condition .
Actually , there ’s one other caveat with the dock connector on the iPod nano : Because the nano ’s headphone jack is located on thebottomof the role player , the right way next to the bob connector port , if an accessory ’s dock connecter chew is unusually broad , there may not be room to at the same time link that plug and headphones or other accessories that stop up into the headphone jack . For case , if you plug SendStation ’s PocketDock trace Out USB into your iPod nano , the earphone knave is all but inaccessible .
The mysterious Dock Adapter
let in with the iPod nano is a deep small-arm of charge card called an “ iPod Dock Adapter , ” which looks very much like the dock cradle adapters included with some iPod accessories ; for model , such adapters let the Bose SoundDock fit different - sized iPod . However , the adapter included with the iPod nano does n’t fit any existing accessory .
Apple ’s iPod nano Dock Adapter
So what ’s this adapter for ? It appears that Apple has told vendors — at least those who are part of the Made for iPod political platform , according tothis Knowledge Base text file — that or else of designing their own dock cradles and adapters , next products should include a “ universal ” dock place of origin that accepts Apple ’s dock transcriber . Each novel iPod model will admit an adapter that lets that iPod work with any “ prescribed ” iPod accessory . This is a enceinte idea that benefits both consumers and third - party vendors : Whenever a new iPod is released , vendors do n’t have to hasten to cook up new dock cradle arranger so that their product are compatible with the new iPods , and customers do n’t have to wait for seller to create such arranger to be able to expend their new iPods with their existing supplement .
In other words , right now the include Dock Adapter is n’t very useful — as I mentioned above , current accessory ca n’t take advantage of it — but as more vendors adopt Apple ’s “ universal ” loading dock provenance , the adaptor means the iPod nano will wreak with many more accouterment . It also means that succeeding iPod models will forge with those accessory forthwith upon loss .
Apple’s own nano accessories
Finally , it ’s worth note that Apple has also annunciate a few oftheir own accessories for the iPod nano , which will be available over the next calendar month and a half . The $ 39 iPod nano Lanyard Headphones combine a laniard and earbuds into a individual around - the - neck cable’s length . The $ 29 iPod nano Armband , uncommitted in profane , red , green , pink , and grey , lets you wear your iPod nano on your weapon . And the iPod nano Tubes—$29 for a pack of five ( clear , blue , purplish , greenish and pink)—cover your nano in protective silicone ; only the sieve and ends are exposed .
Apple ’s iPod nano armband
As vendors free accoutrement for the iPod nano , we ’ll keep you informed — keep an eye out on thePlaylist dwelling house pageand thePlaylist Cartesian product Guidefor all the tardy newsworthiness and recapitulation .
