This year brought dramatic changes to Apple’s iPod product line, with the most notable being the changes made to the iPod nano 6th generation. There are a host of new features added and some removed. Read on for our take on the 2010 iPod nano.
With the advent of the 6th generation iPod nano, Apple has decided to drop the familiar clickwheel interface, replacing it with a new multi-touch capable touchscreen user interface. While it’s not technically running iOS found on the iPod touch, it looks and feels like iOS. The new iPod nano looks as if the iPod touch and iPod Shuffle had a child. The squarish nano has a clip reminiscent of the Shuffle and a multi-touch display found on the more expensive iPod touch.
Press the sleep/wake button on the top right of the device and you will be greeted with:
- Playlists: A list of all your iTunes playlists. Swipe down and you can add, edit playlists.
- Now Playing: Brings up current song being played and playback controls.
- Artists: Scroll list of artists.
- Genius Mixes: If enabled in iTunes, you’ll find a list of mixes created for you by iTunes.
Swipe to the right and you’ll find access to:
- Radio: FM Radio
- Podcasts: List of subscribed podcasts.
- Photos: Yes, you can view your photos on this super small display.
- Settings: An assortment of settings.
The third pane reveals:
- Songs: Browse list of songs.
- Albums: Browse list of albums.
- Genres: Browse list of your music based on genre.
- Composers: Browse list of your music based on composer.
The fourth and final panes displays:
- Fitness: A built-in pedometer. Allows you to upload information to Nike, set goals or pair it with a Nike + running shoes.
- Clock: A great looking clock that has spawned a slew of iPod nano watch bands. Our advice: buy a Timex.
The icons within the four panes can be easily be moved. Press and hold an icon will cause the icons to giggle and you can reposition them to your liking. All of the features generally work like any iPod, with a few exceptions that we’ll touch on.
iPod nano in the gym and on the go
If you owned one of the previous generation iPod nanos, expect a complete departure from everything you know. I found navigating the screens to be very fast. Gestures are easy to learn, swiping left and right to guide your way through the interface. If you press and hold, the iPod nano will return you to the homescreen. With the screen being so small, sometimes I found myself making an accidental selection while swiping.
There is no gesture to put to turn on the display when you are in playback mode. You have to use the physical sleep/wake button. Located on the top right of the nano, the most natural way of pressing the button is to use two hands. For those of you who use your iPod nano while running or exercising, this is one a few drawbacks when compared with previous generations.
Upon seeing the clip, it reminded me of the shuffle, a great gym companion. I ran with the iPod nano and found myself resorting to old patterns of placing my MP3 player either on the treadmill or my pocket. While it’s super light, it flops around if attached to your shirt sleeve and at $180, I didn’t feel secure knowing that it it would hit the ground hard if it became detached. Typical places that you might clip the player are also areas that will introduce your shiny new iPod nano to sweat.
With other music players, I’ve had my device slip out of my pocket when using a weight bench. That’s not an issue with the iPod nano and the clip design. For those of you who use free weights, be careful where you position the nano as I was concerned when moving plates. I’m guessing the display would be no match for 45 lb plate. This was never a concern when using the Shuffle, likely do to it not being a super-expensive product and there is no screen to damage. If you use circuit weights, the clip is great. Clip it to your shorts or shirt and go lift.
The clip and size also opens up the iPod nano to a host of wearable options. A shuffle with a screen, I could see commuters clipping this onto a bag or front pocket. It also opens you up to snatch-and-grab thieves, so be careful out there.
Using multi-touch, the coolest trick is to position your thumb and fore finger on the display and twist to rotate. No doubt about it, these are nice touches and make the device fun. It’s also useful depending on where you are wearing your iPod, you can easily turn the screen and then make your selection.
The most familiar screen is the now playing screen. From here, you can you can pause, fast forward and rewind. Swipe right and it reveals repeat, genius mix, shuffle and audio scrubber. A single tap on the screen gets you back to the album art. Volume adjustments are now made using the two physical buttons on the top left of the device.
Previous iPod nano players allowed more options from within the playback screen. You could depress the center button and reveal options like Browse Artist, Browse Artist. It also reveals an option to Add to On-The-Go, a great way to make a quick playlist while you guessed it, on the go. It was also easier to increase or decrease volume.
The latest revision takes away On-The-Go, replacing it with an option to create as many playlists as you’d like. A handy option if you stationary, but real difficult if you are on the go. Let’s say you are listening to the new Lady Gaga album and want to tag a song for a future playlist. The workflow involves the following steps:
- Tap, swipe back and select Playlists.
- Drag down to reveal ‘Add’ and ‘Edit’ buttons
- Select either and you are presented with a menu to navigate music. In this case, you’d navigate to Artists > Lady Gaga > Album > Press ‘+’ sign > Done
This is a glass half-full, half-empty situation depending upon your preference. You can edit all playlists and add as many as you’d like, but lose the ease of tagging songs on the go that was present in previous generations.
In our testing, the iPod nano was at roughly 50% battery life after roughly 7 hours of playback. After 16 hours, the battery was less than 10%. Usage was a mix of display on/off. According to Apple, the iPod nano offers up to 24 hours of music playback when fully charged.
iPod nano 6th Generation Review: Pros & Cons
Pros
- Small, fun
- Great fit and finish. Feels like a high end device.
- Multi-touch display looks and feels like iOS
- Ability to edit, add playlists
Cons
- No video recording
- No On-The-Go playlist
- Sleep/Wake button requires two hands
- No way to browse artist from playback screen
- Multi-touch makes navigating clumsy. Loss of one hand navigation from previous generation.
Conclusion
The iPod nano is a new class of device, somewhere between a Shuffle and iPod touch. Outside of the price tag, the nano shares very little with previous generations. I’d be ok with shedding features like video recording if the result were a superior portable audio device. The first time you lay hands on the device, it’s hard not to be impressed with the build quality, multi-touch and overall good looks. Once that wears off, you’re left with a capable iPod that will leave you wanting either the previous generation or next. A good first effort, but poor update from the feature-rich 5th generation iPod nano.
Rating: 6/10
Price: 16GB: $179, 8GB: $149
No thanks! I just went out and bought a 5G. This thing is going to bomb!
I wish you had commented on the radio tuner function….I’ve had many iPods in the last few years, but this feature – though old school – means a lot to me. Does it work?
Yes radio does work very well (tested in Sydney Australia)
Anyone know if you can set *one song* (or even a playlist) to repeat on this little guy? I just got mine this morningn and can’t figure it out…
Great article/info. thanks!
Of course!!! what you do is you go to the screen where u pause/fast forward and slide it to the 2nd screen. then u press the oval thingy twice!!
If you swipe to the right, there is an option to “repeat”. Check out page 27 of the manual at this link:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/iPod_nano_6thgen_User_Guide.pdf
Awesome! Thank you for the super-quick response, Christopher!!
Again, great review!
Has anyone run with this ipod yet. I’ve run with several ipod shuffles and they all were damage quiet easily do to sweat. The last generation shuffle took two runs to break. I’ve had good success with the 5th gen nano, while using a protective case. I was wondering if the new touch screen was better than buttons, do to the lack of seals? Great review of using the ipod at the gym, but can you elaborate on how it’s affected by moisture?
I didn’t use it over a period of time lengthy enough to get a feel for it’s durability against sweat. My personal opinion is that there are better options when it comes to selecting an iPod for gym use.
The first 36 hours I loved my my new 6th gen Nano… although the screen is a bit small to see during a run.
Sadly, It took only 2 days for it to break (screen only comes on for a moment–then utter darkness). I’m assuming it is water damage since I used it on my new Nano watch band and I only wear it to run with my new Nike +.
Apple Support says no warranty for water damage, so to fix will be $75 or so.
You’d think the Apple folks and the Nike folks from rainy Portland would figure this out.
The sleep/wake button on my wife’s 6th gen nano has stopped working after six months and Apple say it’s due to moisture damage – which can only have come from sweat as she uses it while working out. They won’t replace it or repair it, so she’s using my chunky old iRiver which appears to be impervious to everything. Raises an interesting question about their marketing of the nano. Is it for people who don’t sweat? Or when they say “clip on and cut loose” do they really mean “clip on and have a little sit-down”?
I bought the new 6th generation to use to teach spin class at my gym, as its small and lightweight I thought it would be easy to clip to the handlebars of my bike. However, I can’t figure out how to get the playback screen to stay on for the 45 minutes I teach class. I use the playback time to time my sets, rest etc but it goes into sleep mode within a minute. Is there a way to get playback to stay on the entire time like the old nanos, or will I be taking this back to Apple before my 14 days are up?
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I’ve looked and looked on forums everywhere, and NOWHERE does anybody give a solution to this problem!!! My iPod didn’t always do this, but now it does; the music stops when the iPod goes to sleep. Please somebody answer this!!!
I had the same problem, I kept searching the internet until I found a solution. It fixed mine. My iPod Nano would start playing a song and then go to sleep. The solution is that my earphones connector was not pushed in far enough to the connector. I tried it and now it is working. It has to be pushed in all the way. Try it!!!!
Hey thanks for that helpful bit of info…my headphones were not quite plugged all the way in…now no probs. Was driving me nuts.
Thanks for this info–I got my new Nano touch for xmas and was having problem with the earphones (and related issues as you described) and didn’t think the earphones fit properly, but you gave me the courage to PUSH them in!!!
Thank you so much for your solution Leigh!
I just bought a Nano, and within minutes of trying to listen to a podcast it was driving me crazy by going to sleep every minute. Massively appreciate your help 🙂
Thanks!! radio works now too. 🙂
Does the new ipod nano 6th work in docking stations? If so does anyone know what ones? I keep reading it won’t work in universal docks, please help!
You just need to find any dock that says it will work on any nano new or old their charging thing is all the same size. I use a radio/dock its wonderful because it charges my nano as it plays music and the quality is great. So I suggest one on those.
Just had to take mine back cause I was told got water damage! I clipped it to my waist area while on the treadmill & this did it I guess. Stopped working on me :(. They were nice enough @ Apple to get me another one but now I’m not sure how to use it since there are no cases for it to prevent h2o damage in future! 🙁 Any suggestions?
Plastic bag?
I just learned about H20 audio try googling that. They are supposedly for people that *get this* swim with their ipods! Ive been through 5 in 3 years and I now have to buy a new nano and am thinking I need this case cause clearly as a power yoga and spin instructor moisture is a constant enemy!
Just a head’s up…
Received mine for my birthday on 10/10…put it through the wash on 10/12…ARGH! Put a note on your washer to remind you to check pockets and to make sure it’s not CLIPPED to a pocket (as mine was).
It has dried out and works still (ALLELUIA!), but it would appear that Apple has installed a genius bit of software that triggers a “screen saver” with WATER DROPLETS! I guess this is their way of knowing whether someone attempting to return a “broken” iPod has put it through the wash, pool, lake, etc.
I noticed it right away when I was finally able to turn it back on. And honestly, I don’t think it ever goes away…guess once water damaged, it’s considered damaged period.
cool. so it’s waterproof? awsum!!!!
Hi to everyone!
does anyone knows if there is anyway to read notes in this ipod nano 6gn!?
Thank you 🙂
Has anyone had any experience with battery length on radio playback? So far, for 2 days in a row, it’s only lasted for 6 hours. Is this the norm?!
I’m having the same problem…Have to charge it almost every night. It drains really quickly and I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong or the radio just really drains it quickly? Have tried to get an answer from Apple via e-mail but haven’t heard back from them and have had trouble getting through to them on the phone.
HA mine when using the radio doesn’t even last that long. Using it for just 30 minutes my battery is already half gone -.-
Wow, i think you got a dodgy battery in it.
Mine dies after about 10 songs. Not normal!!!
I don’t particularly like my new Ipod Nano 6th generation. I have to charge my battery almost every night after only using it to commute to work and back on my bike (3 hours round trip). I don’t like the sleep/wake feature as I would rather turn the whole thing off and know I’m not draining the battery by accidentally leaving something running in the background. I find the device awkward to handle as you have to use both hands. I do like having the radio function but other than that I think the ‘slickness’ of the new touch screen actually detracts from the functionality of the older versions of Nano. Mine was stolen or I would have stuck with my old one.
Yeh, I know. I’m not very thrilled with this thing either. The battery life really does suck and I, too, hate the fact that I can’t just turn it off AND have to charge every night. Personally, I think Apple failed with this one.
The battery life sucks and I called Apple and he said for 29.95 he would work with me to get back to factory settings. Unbelievable the thing is 2 days old. Apple is giving false data about the playback time for sure. The most I get is 6 hours. My Samsung 30 dollar nugget lasted longer. Shame on u Apple!!!!!!
The battery life on this thing blows.. It does not even last for two workouts on a full charge
How do i boost up the volumeof this device?
I can’t hardly hear the music…
And i do not mean by adjusting the volume boost in I Tunes… how do i hack this thing….????
Answers very apreciated!!!!
did u try to press the buttons? thats where u boost the volume….duh
Not sure why all the whining about the new 6th generation Nano not having a video camera and all the other crap. I have an iPhone 4 and simply need a music player for my fitness center workouts and the ability to play music through a patio speaker. I have a MacBook for video and photos and my iPhone for photos and video playback. My ideal solution was the 3rd Gen Shuffle. Unfortunately, it was stolen and I can no long buy a new one. The new Nano is a better deal than the new Shuffle (2GB) because of the memory (8GB) and more i Phone-like features. If it does not fit you, avoid it, but no reason to “badmouth” it.
Apple fanboy….
I guess most of us who are badmouthing the nano are just really hoping Apple will listen to us and fix the damn thing…. two hands for a 1.5 inch device??? that’s awkward… I wish they had kept the 2.2 inch screen… It’s so much more practical.
This should be the new shuffle, not nano.
What’s this two-handed business about? With it clipped onto something I’ve never needed to use two hands to manipulate it. I use a watch band with it and it works just fine (though comments on sweat damaged Nano’s does have me worried (I wonder if some sort of plastic or silicone plug cover for the 30-pin dock connector plug would keep it safe?). I like its size and don’t think I’d want to watch video on a screen this size (though I never owned a previous generation Nano, so I don’t have the baggage of having lost functionality). Having a device this size with 16GB with a screen unlike the shuffle is a gravy situation to me.
i have the same problem..the volume is so low…outdoors i can hardly hear anything!!! how to increase the volume???????
….. theres a + and – on the side….figure it out with that info
go to settings
music
volume limit
then make sure its all the way up
try better headpones:)
I took my new iPod Nano 6th Generation back to apple today after 4 weeks of using at the gym as it stopped working – they told me it had water damage and that they would not replace it.
Eventually they did – which was kind – but be mindful where you clip the nano as sweat can get through the bottom (where you plug in the USB) which can cause it to fail. So don’t clip it upside down and rotate the screen.
Can anyone tell me if the 6th gen Nano will work with iDocks designed for 5th iPods?
I’m going to return mine…you can’t turn it off so the battery drains daily.
And the earphones don’t fit in the jack, they fall out all the time.
i really preferred the 5th gen.wish they’ll change back…
I have been wanting to buy the 6th gen. since i first saw it. I don’t want any thing fancy, and i like how simple it seems. I have heard complaints on the battery life, but my iPod (a 3rd gen nano) is usually plugged into a dock\iHome. My question is if the 6th gen will plug into a dock or iHome?
ye i really want to no dat too i think i might get the 5 generation im not sure o should i get the 6 generation 🙂 xxxx
the 5th gen is far better than the 6th, i wish the 5th gen were still around
Oh yeah definantly!! and you won’t have to worry about battery life either 🙂
i have just received my ipod 6g, loaded a few CDs and tried to play one single album. couldn’t play the album tracks in order. found only two commands available: press “shuffle” and hear the tracks in random order, or press one song title and hear the same song repeating forever. what am i doing wrong?
I’m having the same problem. I’ve turned off the “shuffle” feature in settings, and I just want to hear my songs in the order I placed them on the playlist. What am I doing wrong? I really, really hope there’s simple solution.
I too am having this issue, but on different front. I use this nano mainly in my car. My car has Sync, so I control it with steering controls and voice commands. The “shuffle” option in Sync is turned off. I turned off the “shake to shuffle” option in the nano. For some reason though, all my music continues to be shuffled. I am confident now that it is NOT SYNC. It’s the iPod Nano. Is there NO WAY to turn OFF the “shuffle” feature for an entire playlist? If there is no way, then I have advice for Apple:
Program the “shuffle” tap button at the top of the playlist to turn the cross arrows(shuffle) straight (off)! Tap it once – shuffle on. Tap it again – shuffle off. Simple.
Let me know if you get a fix to this problem. I hate this about the new nano. I just want to hear certain songs in a certain order!!!
I too have been having this problem and it’s REALLY anoying, I accidently hit shuffle and now it wont STOP shuffling, I just want to listen to my music in the order I put it I the iPod. HELP!!
you click on the first song in the playlist, then once it starts playing scroll over to the left, you’ll see two arrows intersecting on the far right click it till its not highlighted. As far as mine works your songs should not shuffle anymore.
OMG awesome!!!
OMG tuna!!!
is there anyway you can search for songs other than scrolling through song names?? and it doesn’t turn off at all?? I have a first gen ipod nano and wanted to get something like a simpler mini touch, does this qualify in your opinion? Thankss!! 🙂
How do I keep it from turning off every 30 secs? I just got it this morning, and I am trying to listen to the radio while I get the itunes working, BUT I have to stop and press the sleep/wake button and press play on the radio every 30-45 secs.
I’m having a similar problem to you Jen, if you figure out whats going on, would really appreciate it if you could let me know – will do the same if I find a solution ( is not looking promising!!) Cheers
featheredfern@gmail.com
Any solutions for this yet? i am having same problem?
Someone help!
I am 13. i got this for christmas yesterday from my mom and dad. i was soo excited cuz i wanted an ipod touch but this was like a mini version. I’ve had the 1st generation ipod nano. after that died i got a crappy mp3 player. I didn’t play the radio good and shut off on me. so i was very excited to get an ipod that could actually manage my music. now i’m not so sure. i’ve charged it twice today and listened to it for like an hour total and it is totally out of battery. is there really not a way to shut this thing off? that is soo dumb on apple’s part. I think i want to return it and get the 5th generation or something. How should i tell my parents that i don’t like it though? i don’t want to seem to bratty but it is an energy waster and sucker. i mean i want to be green not waste all this power by charging it twice a day. Please help!!!
THANK YOU! 🙂
@Rachie,
I bought the Nano for my 11-year-old for Christmas and we have had the very same problem. We charged it overnight, as friends said to do, and it drained in an hour. We took it back to Target and got a new one. I’m hoping this one will charge and STAY THAT WAY. I look forward to hearing if others have had the same experience and if so, what they did to remedy it. Tell your parents it’s malfunctioning. That’s not being ungrateful. They won’t be happy that they paid a load of money for something that doesn’t work!
I really like the new features on the 6th gen, but its started to play up on me. It keeps switching off half way through a song. I don’t mean the screen goes blank, I mean it actually stops playing bout every 30 secs. Is it faulty or am I missing something in the settings?? Tis very annoying!!! I have noticed the battery life is not all apple have made it out to be too.
Happy New Year everyone
I also received my 8G for Christmas. So far the battery life on this thing sucks in comparison to my 3rd gen nano. I’m also rather displeased with the lack of features on this model; it seems like Apple tossed a lot out the window just to make a tiny touch. I hope maybe they can improve things through software updates in the near future, but I doubt it.
Does anyone know how many hours it lasts without using radio??
Not too please with this thing. I wanted it because of the 16G. Figured it would be as good as any previous ones. Wrong! Won’t charge in either of my Belkin doc’s. (FM car transmitter and docking station for stereo). It plays though. Don’t buy it unless you want a fancy shuffle.
Oh Man!
After reading all these bad reviews, im having second thoughts about getting this.
I was planning on getting this for my 12 year old daughter for making good grades, but now i might have to tell her to forget about it.
I really dont want to upset her, becuse shes been asking for one of these ever since one of her lil friends got one. 🙁
Its really not that bad, I like it, most of these people are just too idiotic to figure it out.
Probably being really dumb…but is there any way of getting the radio to play through the docking station? This is the first ipod I’ve owned and plugged into the docking station u get the message ‘Radio will not work without the ear-phones plugged in’ which is impossible to do?
Any solutions?
Probably too late in replying, but you can get an extender for the connector on your dock, aka a “30-pin connector pass-through”. With the right extender, there’ll be just enough space to plug in your earphones.
The nano relies on the headset cable for antenna just like a lot of portable FM radios. Most portable FM radios don’t have a “Doc” with line out audio like the nano, so it’s never an issue.
the nano stand alone and connect it to the Aux in the docking station the down side is that the nano is not on charge
I can’t figure out how to make a playlist on the device i can only make them for the computer, it really shouldnt be this hard to figure out, it was this difficult on my other ipods, all i had to do was click file and that doesnt work with this new piece of crap
Download User’s Guide from website and follow directions p.34-35
For website I meant Apple’s website, sorry
Karen
I really want to know why my new 6th gen wont charge on my Boss dock?? It cant be an age thing on the docks part as my boyfriend has a brand new iPod classic and that charges on it fine?? Any ideas??
I won my iPod 6th Gen 16 GB on a bidding site about three months ago. So far the iPod has worked flawlessly. I workout a great deal and attach it to an armband around my bicep then feed the ear bud wires under my shirt, through the the sleeve and into the iPod. I have had no problems with sweating into it at all. I am happy with the amount of time the battery lasts (I charge it about once every week or so depending on how long my workouts are). For example, I have worked out every day for the past week for a total of about 10 hours. The iPod still shows that it is about half charged. I have my old 1st gen (2 GB) hooked into my car radio with an adaptor that plugs into the cigarette lighter AND keeps it charged at the same time. I also have the iPod 5th gen (8 GB) which I don’t use anymore. I find that the 6th gen has better sound quality throughout all the frequencies and is easier to use then both my first and fifth gens. For those people who don’t know how to turn it off … read the directions (you can download the instruction manual). I am very careful the way that I treat this iPod in comparison with my other ones. I am a bit fearful of dropping it (and did drop the other ones and they didn’t suffer any damage) and it seems like it good get damaged easier. However, I am not certain of this but don’t want to experiment to find out. In summary, I really like this 6th gen and I hope I have it for a long time to come.
Enlighten me please. How do you turn it off? I’ve read about a complicated work around that involves pressing both volume buttons and the sleep button and then a menu screen appears and you can actually turn it off from there.
There must be a simpler way – come on Apple – fix it!
There is an update you can download from itunes so that you can hold the sleep button down, then it shuts off!
this ipod is great…way better than the shitty ipod nanos before this. i dont understand why anyone needs a crappy little camera on their ipod..its useless. just get a good camera. this ipod plays music, not too many crazy frills, and its small, PERFECT!
Can the 6th gen nano be plugged into the portable stereos meant for ipods? I don’t mean charging docks. I mean the mini stereos sold for ipods. I love the nano and would like to get a mini stereo for my daughter to play it on if I can. Anybody tried it yet?
I’ve had my 6th gen nano since September 2010, and its worked beautifully, battery has lasted ages, not had a problem. Even after I dropped it and cracked the screen (November 2010) it worked perfectly. Till now, this morning I discovered the sleep/wake button was stuck, and I couldn’t do anything with it. At first I thought it was something that I had done, but it took me 30 seconds of internet trawling to discover that this is an extremely common problem with this generation nano (some people reported it getting stuck after only two weeks of use).
Hi, I am still not sure if u still have the functions “Browse artist, browse album” from the playback menu. You mention that the “Add to on-the-go” was replaced by this new one, but what about the other two?
Thanks
When I have this ipod plugged into my computer and have iTunes open, iTunes displays the songs in my playlist in alphabetical order, instead of the order I see them when I’m looking at the playlist in my ipod alone. (It doesn’t do this with my other ipods.) I want to change the order the songs are in in my playlist. Can anyone help me?? How can I make iTunes display the playlist, not in alphabetical order, but the order it’s in on the ipod??
Can you play games on this one? like can you get games from itouch or just plain old games?
I’ve been thinking about that too. Does anybody know???????????
What a mess. I have had two units just fry when I left them plugged into the USB Port of my computer for a few hours. Apple doesn’t have any clue, they replaced the first two, now the same thing happened to a third. Piece of junk
hey I agree this things sucks, and the battery and well everything. it upsets me. However recently the sleep/wake button had gotten stuck and the button is so thin not even tweezers could get it out, any sugesstions? (i have to keep it cause my parents don’t have the money to buy anymore. )
I’m thinking about buying an ipod nano 6th generation. what do you think?
amiesuu, in a word – Don’t !
Anybody having problems with the 6th Gen NAno shutting off every two minutes? I just had mine replaced and it continues to do it. I thought maybe it was the amount of songs i had on it (It was full) but even when i add just 10 songs it keeps doing it (even on radio).
It does NOT do it when i have it on the computer – any helpw would be GREATFUL.
my 6th gen nano was working perfectly at first but after a few days, the music keeps turning off when the ipod sleeps…does anybody know how to fix it?
mine is doing the same exact thing! I have no idea what to do..at first it would allow me to click the sleep button and it would still play, but now my ipod stops my music constatntly. It’s very frustrating.
found any solution yet?
Make sure your headphones are plugged in all the way, and that the jack is clean. You should hear and feel the plug click into place.
thank you, Brit!! that completely resolved my issue!!
Does the 6th Gen Nano play videos ?
I have just returned my 4th, 6th gen Nano to Apple.
Battery life-despite full charge, lasts about 3 hours on continuous music play.
Apple refuses to acknowledge battery issues. I spoke with manager of West 14 St and
Sohio NYC stores.
I have purchased half dozen as gifts, at various times, from various Apple stores.
Similar result-from all- the same poor battery issue.
They were all cheerfully replaced- but the replacements have
same poor battery performance.
Norm
Similar to Norm, I also experience horrible battery usage with les that 25% left after around 5-6 hours.
I received a new Ipod for my birthday, and given that my main use of the music player is for running, I am very disappointed. The first issue I had was trying to find a holder that would allow me to run without getting the device sweaty. Previous versions had a great neoprene case available, that had a separate clip on the back. The clip could be attached to a supplied arm band, or clipped anywhere on your person. I clipped it to my sports bra for easy access (and the clip and case kept the actual device far enough away from my skin that the ipod stayed nice and dry. Since the new Ipod has an integrated clip, the new cases do not, and while the carrying options are cute (watch bands, etc) they are really not functional for someone who wants to run with it. I also find changing the volume or the song very difficult while running or riding my bike :-/ I think the new nano is cute, but if you are a runner, try to find a previous generation, you will be much happier with it!
I just got a 6th gen nano and have issues with the earbuds .The sound is crappy unless the ear buds are at an exact amount in the hole,meaning if you push the jack all the way in it does not sound right.Does anyone else have this problem,or is this the way it is supposed to be?
i dont know why u guys r haveing so many prolems with it my ipod has been working out fine and i really like the ipod
I have a 5-year-old Sansa/Real Player with a battery that still lasts for several days… The 16g Nano’s battery dies in about 6 hours, though… Barely 3 workouts…
Yes, it’s difficult to manipulate with only one hand, which is tough when you’re running…
I got mine as a gift, so I dont have the receipt. If anyone has any luck returning it to a store without a receipt, please advise. I dont even know which store it’s from…
Cheers,
gry
I replaced my Classic (which was stolen) with the new 6th generation.I actually like it.I don’t use it for work out,I use the shuffle for that, which I think is much easier for working out, I think the 6th is to bulky for it and to switch songs, you have to unclip it and such…
I use the 6th more for hook up to radio’s and stereo’s and in the car.
The downside of that is, when we are with the truck ,which is more bumpy, when we hit a bump, it changes songs.I tried to find where to turn that feature off, but I can’t find it.
Does anybody know how to turn that off?
Thank goodness for this forum ! I thought it was just me who had concerns about the 6th gen nano. Went to a party last night with a killer playlist (which I eventually figured out how to do but I’ll come back to that) only to find that the 6th gen DIDN’T WORK ON THE HOST’S DOCKING STATION !!!! How embarrassing and how annoying. My iPod was a gift and I was so thrilled to receive it and really wanted to like it…. but it’s just not… errr.. well all I was expecting really. This latest incident (with the doc station) prompted me to do a search and lo there are fellow sufferers out there ! It doesn’t make it easier but at least it’s not just me !! This playlist thing was really annoying. It seemed to randomly allow or disallow moving tracks to play in a specific order. I think I’ve cracked it but I might be back with another rant !! Ha ha !! I’m going back to tapes !!! 🙂
Is anyone having trouble with the nano holding its memory of where you left of listening? For example, I listen to a playlist or a speaker and when I turn the nano off, the memory seems to fade or something. After about 20 minutes when I turn it back on, I have to search for where I left off. My old nanos held onto the location so that no matter when I turned it on, I was ready to go. No one at the Apple store could help me, so I’m hoping one of you can before I toss this thing.
I just got a Nano 6th gen. I like it. I got it for working out. It’s small with the clip, and the radio works great. I love being able to clip it on my shirt tail and look down to see the display – which can be rotated up-side-down. Very clever. Expensive, with limited features, but great in the gym and beautifully made. If that’s what you want, this is it. I often hit the wrong command on the touch-screen, but it’s so nice to work with that I can live with that, no problem. Except – I’m concerned about the battery:
My first run of the battery was very, very poor. It died in one day – and I was at work all day, using the nano only for short walking commute and workout. I’ll test it for a week. If the battery runs out every day, I’ll return it. My last MP3 was the sony – less expensive, great battery life, but bigger and no clip, which is why I switched to nano. The sony would have lasted at least a month (maybe two) on yesterday’s usage – the nano lasted a day. The time I ran my sony I just couldn’t believe how long the battery lasted (including watching video on the little screen). The nano produced the opposite impression. Considering it’s the premium price device in this segment, it’s surprising, but I suppose many people are willing to sacrifice battery life for the higher quality finish and ‘curb appeal’.
So – I’ll test for a week. If the battery gets broken in and improves, I’ll keep it. I really like it. If the battery life stays as is, I’ll likely return, get the sony (much less expensive), and keep wishing the sony had a clip. If sony would make a smaller version of theirs with a screen and a clip, I’d get it today.
to switch off repeat scroll right on the playing and the repeat icon will be highlighted in blue, switch this off but also switch on the random at the other side of the screen or it will just go back to repeat
Do you need to use earphones to listen to music? or can you play the music with out them like on the 5th generation?
Nope it doesn’t play out loud really loud but if you plug in the earphones and turn it up all the way
Any one know how to turn this darn thing off other than holding down all three buttons at the top……………it would be nice to know, its really quite a bother to have to charge it multiple times a day
you just press the sleep/off button, but maybe you have music playing when you press it because that will just turn the screen off not the music! 🙂
FWI YOU CAN ADD AUDIOBOOKS AND IT HAS AN ICON! YOU DIDN’T GET ALL YOUR INFO BEFORE YOU TYPED!
Loved my iPod Nano 5th generation – got the 6th generation and I really miss my 5th generation one. Really don’t care for the touch screen at all, the sleep function as others have said is annoying and I think hard to use if you use it a lot for gym use – and it’s almost too senstive (jumps at slightest brush when working out).
I wish they gave you the option to still buy the 5th generation. I just am not loving this one.
I had no idea icons could giggle. I did hear they could jiggle though.
So my 4th generation iPod nano just started acting up, which really bums me out because I hate this design and after reading most of the comments I am confirmed. When is the next generation coming out? And lets hope they go back to the other generations..
I am also having trouble with the docking connection. But this is the only problem that I have had.
I wanted to buy this ipod, but apparently it’s not that good. What ipod would you recommend?
i have this, and im sry, but it kind of sucks
5tth generation had WAY better stuff- here no games, my music videos won’t play, no camera, it’s basically a touch shuffle :/
my first ipod nano 6th generation lasted about a week of running and sweating but luckly walmart took it back, the screen blacked out and would play music but could not navigate with it. my 2nd one lasted maybe a month and the volume keep turning its self down and had to hold the button and fight with it to keep music loud enough to hear, then a few days later while trying to change songs it blacked out and quit playing music all together! we are sending it back to apple and if they dont fix the problem for free i will never buy another one, if you sweat at all do not buy this product, i had a phillips cheap 40 dollar one that lasted me 2 years till it fell in the river
It seems like too many times when working out in the past that my iPod has always been a hassle to stay in a comfortable position. That is not the case with the sixth generation iPod nano. The design of this generation iPod seems like it was made for people who use their iPod for fitness. As it is equipped with Nike+ fitness, which can be used for tracking things like the distance you run and the amount of calories burned throughout a workout. It is a very small size as it is no bigger than a book of matches. This nano has a clip that is extremely convenient for attaching to your shorts as you run or workout. As I stated earlier I believe that this is an iPod that would be put to best use for working-out, so if you’re a person who doesn’t enjoy music while working out then I do not recommend it. Also this iPod is not for people who don’t like touch screens since it is strictly touch screen command. I’ve owned many iPods in the past and if you are a person looking for the perfect iPod for using while working out then this is the right purchase for you.
I’m looking for something to listen to audio books. I’ve been told by many people I should use an MP3 vice a CD player and I am tired of the hassle of CD players. Will this work. I am very electronic challenged and don’t want to worry about sweat damage and having my book play with chapters out of order because the device is shuffling the selection. Thanks for any comments
Yes, the iPod Nano supports audiobooks and playback and recognizes where you left off.
hey guys,
i was super duper really excited to buy this until i read all these reviews…
i don’tc want it for a workout or for any other options that other ipods have,
i just want it to listen to my music on the bus and around and stuff…should i still get this? are there any other major problems other than battery chrage (because i have a special dock).
thnakss!
the 6th gen ipod is nothing special except for its touch screen and smallness… so if u just wanna listen to music then the 5th gen is better imo….
You can create and delete playlists right from the Nano.
I’m a bit late, but dude, YES. I am an 8th grader who uses this on the bus…. IT IS AWESOME! Definetly awesome. However…. no games, limited features. If you want one, get it because you like music, cause it doesnt have much else. Me, though, I’m loving the 6th gen. Battery lasts pretty much forever; takes barely maybe an hour to charge.
I love my Ipod 6th generation; however, I find it sometimes difficult to navigate. For instance, recently, I accidentally got into repeat mode. It repeats one song continuously and I’m desperate to find out how to shut off this mode I’ve tried everything to find it. I can change the song manually, but I want it to stop repeating. Someone out there…Please Help!! Thanks.
I have had trouble when my Nano is on battery with it stopping after only a short time and closing. It plays fine when on the dock so just cannot understand the issue.
I have had my iPod nano 6G for about 8 months and up until now everything has been fine, BUT recently the radio icon has completely dissapeared.
Does anyone know how i get it back??
Please help!!
Go to Settings/General/Home Screen. Make sure “Radio” is turned on.
6th gen- why can you not pick a song from the menu without it playing alphabetically?, i always have to shuffle the songs first 🙁
6th gen- why u cannot take songs off when you plug into computer…. u cannot see the songs on ur ipod, therefore cannot take any off… why not?????????
Has anyone got suggestions for a good docking station for this ipod? We can’t use our big stereo at the moment and just want to play what’s on my ipod. There are so many out there and I’m no expert! Thanks
any will do fine, they all play the music it just depends on what you prefer it to look like…
I had the 1st gen and they sent a recall on the battery, so I sent it in and supposedly they couldn’t send me another 1st gen so they sent me the 6th, not really impressed with it at all.
first time I tried it it played about a minute before shutting down, found out you need to jam the ear jack in to resolve this issue. bad design if you need to jam the jack in to keep it playing (common problem I found other people have).
The size is way to small to hang on to, sometimes bulk is good, no point if it keeps slipping out of your hands trying to operate it. plus the lack of some of the features previous nanos have. personally Ill stick with my 3rd gen, thats the last generation that will work with the older docking stations and my transmitter, this thing wont even play or charge with my transmitter from the 1st gen. The 4th gen at least plays even if it wont charge it.
I love my 6 gen iPod nano battery lasts long and i love the radio they gave me this one after the did a recall on the 1st gen nano and happy they upgraded me to this amazing product
Just went for my first run with the 6th Gen nano i bought this week! Very impressed with the nike function and the little motivational comments esp the Personal best. Im a geek and now all the workouts I do are tracked! Brilliant. On the playback feature I have had songs just stopping when the nano sleeps but I think maybe I’ll try pushing in the headphones more. Impressed so far! I have a snug watch strap too but a bit worried about scratching the hell oout of it when you use as a watch. Are there any stick on covers where you can still Swipe?
Dudes, battery life? Mine works for a week if you just make sure the screen’s asleep (that’s where all the battery goes.) Just press the power button and the screen will go black.
Just received my replacement nano from apple, it’s a 6th generation. Sadly it does not respond to the remote on my Sony dock. Any ideas how to resolve this as I only really use it on the dock.
Does anyone know of an inexpensive FM transmitter that can be used with the 6th generation? Preferably, one that charges too.
Never mind, found a really good tranmitter. The Satechi Sound-Fly Aux
is there any way to listen to the radio while the 6th generation NANO is plugged in and charging?
DEAR INTERNET MORONS
To stop your nano “shutting off” while playing make sure the headphone jack is properly pushed in otherwise it’ll go into standby.
I find the battery life is decent considering the tiny size, though you’re free to disagree! To switch off and save power just press and hold the standby button. SIMPLE.
No, it does not play games or videos nor does it have anything like Notes or Calendar. It’s really designed as a dedicated music player only. The radio is a bonus. If you’re looking for more features then this is not for you.
I agree the touch screen is not as handy as a click wheel, but you get used to it.
I am having the same problem with my 6th G nano turning off on me. It worked fine for about a month, but now it turns off within a minute. It is pretty much useless.
And before anyone says anything, I have the head phone jack jammed in as far as it can go. And, I have tried resetting the factory default settings.
Any other ideas?
Is there a limiter on the volume, yes i’ve put the volume up to full but it is still nowhere near as loud as my partners shuffle, it’s that quiet a can hear peoples voices over it. Please help i like my music load!!!!!
Will my iPod nano work in the dock of this- (Panasonic SC-PM500 Micro HiFi System), please help me. Thanks. 🙂
Okay. Love the “dear Internet morons” intro and thought you would be the best bet in answering what is likely a dumb question but I ask anyway… Is there an easy way to skip ahead a song while running…without having to stop and deal with the touch screen? Miss the effortless tapping of the wheel on my old first gen iPod
I was wondering if apple has made a podcast to walk to or exercise routine? You know the voice activated can say run at a 6.0 for 3 min. then after 3 min it could say walk for 2 min. or it can tell you to do a work out in the gym. Like a personal trainer.
I am not very happy with my new Ipod nano 16 gb. It has gone one step ahead with touch screen but gone many steps back with no volume control with screen touch, low volume over all, then old versions. Volume is only ok with an Apple ear phones. If you use a much supperior bose ear phones the volume is much less, which used to work awesome on the older version. For those who have no option but stuck with the new nano after paying about 200US $, slight increase in volume by going into Music, EQ, Flat set it on Flat & you get a small boost. Very sad after using Iphone 2, 3Gs, 4 & the old 4 gb nano with video this is definately a major let down gone back in time. My main use of this nano was to use in the gyum & on flight so i dont drain down my iphone 4 battery. Apple needs to bring back the old version with touch screen, can can make this new version a bit bigger with more battery power, touch screen volume increase & more volume.
Not happy with this nano 6th generation. The battery does not hold a charge for longer then 2 hours, very disappointed. What’s up apple?
Anyone have trouble with the iPod nano 6th generation skipping songs when it plays or yu are scrolling through the songs had it restored by apple to factory settings and reloaded music still the same problem load the same music on the iPod touch and no problem.
ipod nano 6th generation was gifted by son who is in states. but every twenty seconds, the songs stop in between and i have to touch the screen to continue from where the song was half way thru. it is quite irritating to listen to the songs this way where there is no continuity. can any one pl help me to solve this prob so that i can listen to songs without any interruption. ? ipod was bought from Target and i am back in India. is there any way of exchanging the same in India, i have the bill with me.
My first Apple-anything, so for a hick like me, I think this is incredibly cool. Look, it’s not meant to be a day planner, TV remote or Mr Coffee. I have no problem w/ the volume, storage capacity or one hand control – I bought a wrist strap, and it doubles as a beautiful watch. I’m taking it on a European trip w/ audio lectures and lots of music. I love it!
I was given my IPOD Nano 6th generation for Valentines Day. After 2 months of using it with my morning runs it stopped working. I took it to the local dealer/repair shop only to find out there was moisture damage! WTF! Why do you build a piece of athletic equipment that cannot hold up to sweat? And now after reading that this problem has been happening for sometime you think they would have resolved the problem. I was like how do you get moisture in the head phone jack? I think when you get this thing you should be told not to work out and they should take the Nike workout program off of it unless you plan on sitting down then I would not suggest buying this thing stick to your old MP3 players or CD disk! At least they did not stop working with a little sweat!
good product…but I loved my nano intil it broke -___-# apparently alot of other people have been having problems with the volume buttons breaking.