In mid-July, Japanese blog Mac Otakara claimed that Apple has been undertaking a significant redesign of the iPod nano, moving to an oblong form factor with a larger, rectangular screen and a home button. As shown in a rough rendering accompanying the post, the changes would make the iPod nano appear more like a smaller version of the iPod touch, although it would presumably not run a full version of iOS.
Reports of a revamped iPod nano have continued to surface since that time, with Mac Otakara also adding fresh claims that the new iPod nano will include Wi-Fi capabilities in order to support iTunes in the Cloud.
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Case manufacturers are now getting into the act, and if their designs are based on legitimate leaked design information, it does appear that Apple is planning for an iPod nano redesign in line with recent rumors. The case designs come from an Italian accessory manufacturer and include both silicone and crystal cases. The new cases are not yet available on the vendor's site, but the company is advertising them to third-party retailers.
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The new iPod nano form factor appears reminiscent of the iPod mini, although rumors indicate the front will carry a large screen and home button rather than the smaller screen and click wheel of the iPod mini. Openings along the left edge of the case suggest that the new iPod nano will have some external controls such as volume buttons in the same location as seen on Apple's iOS devices. A pair of small holes are also present at the bottom center of each of the cases, and it is unclear whether these are for a speaker or some other feature of the device.
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The vendor is also offering silicone and crystal cases for the new iPod touch, and the designs are in line with previously-seen cases. Like previous cases and in line with rumors, these new iPod touch cases contain a round hole in the lower left corner of the back, and it is unclear exactly what this feature is intended to accommodate.
Update 12:18 PM: Images removed.
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