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iPod Nano loses click wheel for square multi-touch display; starts at $149

There is a new member of the iPod Nano family, with a new design that somewhat blends previous generations but truly stands apart altogether.
Written by Rachel King, Contributor

There is a new member of the iPod Nano family, with a new design that somewhat blends previous generations but truly stands apart altogether.

Looking slightly reminiscent of the third-gen iPod Nano with its wider display, the sixth-generation iPod Nano has a new square, multi-touch display, but it lost the click wheel altogether. Such a squarish display was previous spotted and rumored about earlier this summer, and now it is for real.

The latest Nano is 46% smaller and 42% lighter than the previous generation, with a clip (rather than an armband) and hard volume buttons.

The user interface is like a squeezed down version what you'd see on the iPhone 4 and the new iPod touch, but with only four icons on the screen at a time. It's sure to be a useful exercise companion with a pedometer, Nike+ and FM radio. Users can also expect VoiceOver technology (like on the iPod Shuffle), support for 29 languages, and a battery life for up to 24 hours of audio playback.

The new iPod Nano is available for pre-order today, and it should be ready for shipping by next week. Pricing starts at $149 for 8GB and jumps to $179 for the 16GB variant. Traditionally, the iPod Nano has always been a colorful product (just like its predecessor, the iPod Mini), and this generation is no exception with seven color options to choose from: black, pink, blue, silver, green, orange and a Product: Red version.

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