Apple iPod Nano Red (8GB)
Manufacturer: Apple Part number: MA899LL/A
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The second-generation Apple iPod Nano is like the successful offspring of an iPod Mini and a first-generation iPod Nano. It's small, stylish, user-friendly, and competitively priced--a great player all around and suitable for a variety of users.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
 | | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Apple iPod Nano Red (8GB) price range: $149.00 - $399.66
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Edited by: James Kim
- Reviewed on: 09/13/2006
The good: The second-generation Apple iPod Nano takes on a new scratch-resistant aluminum body, which is available in a variety of bright and shiny colors; it's still superslender but more durable, thanks to a seamless construction. It supports photos (with thumbnail grid) and album art and has great sound quality.
The bad: The iPod Nano still doesn't play video, not that you'd want to watch it on the small screen, and there's no built-in FM tuner or recording capability; not all color options are available for all memory sizes.
The bottom line: The second-generation Apple iPod Nano is like the successful offspring of an iPod Mini and a first-generation iPod Nano. It's small, stylish, user-friendly, and competitively priced--a great player all around and suitable for a variety of users.
The second-generation (2G) Nano shuns simple white and steps out in a metallic color parade, with shiny silver available in the 2GB and 4GB flavors; bright pink, green, and blue offered in 4GB; and somber black taking the 8GB version. The body casing itself is rather like a minified Mini shell: it's seamless anodized aluminum, which means the 2G Nano is not only less scratch-prone than its predecessor, but also more durable in general. As with the old Nano, the 2G features the much praised iPod Clickwheel, which serves as the player's only controls (other than the hold switch on the top). Above the Clickwheel is the rather small (1.5-inch) color display, which is 40 percent brighter than that of its predecessor, and the bottom edge of the player houses the headphone jack and proprietary dock connector. A larger screen would have been a welcome improvement, but the benefit is the uniformity of screen size and overall dimensions (the 2G is just a hair thinner and taller than the previous Nano: 3.56 by 1.6 by 0.26 inches): all the made-for-Nano accessories should work fine with the new model.
As with other iPods, the 2G Nano is a snap to navigate, though the Clickwheel may take a little getting used to for first-time users, especially those used to other MP3 player controls. The Main Menu includes selections for Music, Photos, Extras, Settings, and Shuffle Songs--this last is particularly handy. Music is conveniently sorted by Playlists, Artists, Albums, and so on. And if you can't remember who a particular song or album falls under, you can use the new Search function (found in the Music submenu).
The 2G Nano is light on extras, though its small, excellently designed packaging includes all that you might need for basic use: a dock adapter, a USB cable for syncing/charging, a pair of white earbuds, and a quick-start guide. You'll have to download iTunes from the Web, since Apple doesn't include a disc in the box--a forgivable omission, considering that it cuts down on use of materials for packaging.
If you want to listen to FM radio on the Nano, you'll need to pick up Apple's $49 Radio Remote (or similar accessory). Similarly, recording features require a separate accessory, such as Belkin's TuneTalk. It'd be a nice surprise if Apple would include such features in an iPod, but at least it's nice that you have the option to add them. Features the Nano does have built in are photo viewing (with a neat 3x3 thumbnail preview grid) and album art support. Video playback is conspicuously absent, as many Nano competitors have it (the Creative Zen V Plus, iRiver Clix, and SanDisk Sansa e200 series, to name a few). But we're not sure we'd want to watch video on the tiny screen anyway. The 2G Nano is capable of gapless playback (finally!), but that must be designated in iTunes 7.
The latest version of iTunes is a nice improvement over version 6, and you can read more about it in the
We're pleased to note that Apple had a stab at the original Nano's rather paltry 12-hour battery life, doubling that rating to a respectable 24 hours. Turns out Apple was right on the money: CNET Labs coaxed 24.5 hours out of the player. As far as sound quality is concerned, we couldn't notice a difference between the old Nano and the 2G: it still sounds excellent across nearly all genres of music. Bass response could be tighter, and we didn't think the included earbuds sounded that great, but they're certainly passable (the design seems a bit more ergonomic than earlier ones). We had some mixed results with gapless playback--albums transferred from a Windows machine still had hiccups, while those from a Mac were seamless--but this is likely an iTunes issue, rather than a Nano one. Navigation was superspeedy, thanks to a fast processor, and photos loaded quickly.
The 2G Nano doesn't really bring anything new to the table in the fast-advancing world of MP3 players, but the improvements over the original are certainly welcome. This player is sure to be a top choice among a wide range of users, and it's a stellar option for first-timers. Just make sure you're aware that the same $249 for an 8GB Nano will get you a larger but video-capable 30GB iPod.
User reviews
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Great Player works well
by hard rockr on July 16, 2008
Pros: Thin good capacity- bullet proff
Cons: no video or games
Summary: I have had it for a year and it only has one scratch even though i am very hard on my stuff. Has a good capacity for my needs and ...
Summary: I have had it for a year and it only has one scratch even though i am very hard on my stuff. Has a good capacity for my needs and is very good quality.
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Perfect ... my first 10/10 for any product
by Helj on November 27, 2007
Pros: Reliable, Solid, Good Battery Life, Clean Simple Interface
Cons: Interface is a little basic, not cheap
Summary: I'm a computer programmer by trade and a Windows guy at that ... but this little number has worked exactly how I wanted it to work over the last year....
Summary: I'm a computer programmer by trade and a Windows guy at that ... but this little number has worked exactly how I wanted it to work over the last year.
It never seems to skip or stop. It's sleek and light and fits neatly into a pocket or armband. The battery life has been excellent and much better than I feared -- I use this thing for everything from mowing the lawn to 2 hour cycling trips. It even integrated seamlessly when I added the Nike+ component.
I have to admit, I thought the price a little high initially for something so simple, but it is designed so well and has been so reliable, I now think it's more than worth it. I've gotten my money's worth easily and have no real desire to upgrade to a newer model even. -
best ever, coolest ever, and most popular ever!
by Dani210 on March 8, 2007
Pros: slimmest thing out there, easiest syncing with PC/Mac, awesome price, sweet design, simple to use, great memory size, more accessories than any other mp3 player, everyone else has one
Cons: i guess a radio
Summary: not that you'll ever need a radio. It has enough memory to never run out of music. And it's so friggin' small, that if a CD was compacted, ...
Summary: not that you'll ever need a radio. It has enough memory to never run out of music. And it's so friggin' small, that if a CD was compacted, then it would be about the same size but 11 times more memory with 11 times smaller songs. no other electronics besides a chip, CD/DVD, or a wire is thinner than the nano. (oh yeah, and the new shuffle without its clip.)
what can you say, no wonder ipods have been number 1 for five years now -
Improvements make for an even better nano experience
by make_or_break on March 1, 2007
Pros: Better case, improved click wheel, superior SQ to earlier iPods
Cons: Relatively expensive. iTunes 7 in Windows hasn't been fun. Lack of certain key features found on other devices.
Summary: No, the Apple iPod nano doesn't do all the things I'd like a portable flash DAP to do. It doesn't have have a built-in radio tuner (my ...
Summary: No, the Apple iPod nano doesn't do all the things I'd like a portable flash DAP to do. It doesn't have have a built-in radio tuner (my biggest gripe), or have built-in voice or direct-to-device recording. It doesn't have the capability to do any of the downloadable games that my 5.5G iPod is capable of, though in truth I rarely play any of the games on that iPod, so it's not like I'm missing out on much. The nano doesn't do video, but as with games this is something that I thought was still lacking on the original Video iPod, so vids on an even tinier screen has no value to me.
So what does the nano do well? For starters, the partnership Apple has with Samsung has yielded what I think is the best-sounding iPod ever, even better than the flagship hard drive-based units. The second-generation design addresses a number of serious flaws with the original iPod nano, namely in the delicate nature of the finish material and in the jerky operation of the click wheel. The aluminum casing of the 2nd-generation nano and its revised click wheel's operation are significant improvements over the earlier design.
Things that didn't change from original to second-gen are the virtues of the nano's ultra-lightweight design. The menu system is still as simple-to-use as any other iPod previously made. Even without the gaming (aside from the simple built-in ones) and video capability, the nano still has plenty of features that only go to compliment its primary purpose for existence: playing music. The stopwatch is still there, as is the clock. It does audiobooks and podcasts that, for instance, is something Microsoft's Zune cannot claim (at least for now...BTW, I now have one of these as well). It still has the rather token (I think) but still usable PDA-esque capabilities. And then there's the novel iPod-Nike exercise/running monitoring system for those so inclined. And of course it's linked to the biggest online music store around, if DRMed music is of your liking.
The downsides? Aside from the lack of onboard radio (the separate tuner Apple sells does work pretty well, but it seems a crime to ask for another $50 for the FM-only priviledge), the 8GB nano is pricey relative to its hard drive-based siblings and like-minded models from Apple's competition. But in the Apple world, that's the (current) price one pays for ultra-portability and freedom from HD disk read errors and crashes. The latest version of iTunes hasn't been much of a joy to deal with either; it's Version 7 iteration has been less stable in Windows XP than most any of the prior iterations. Up until recently with the latest firmware patch, USB2.0 transfer speeds have been difficult to maintain. In fact, large batch song transfers often would hang up after 50-100 songs, forcing me to cancel and restart; the latest firmware patch seems to have addressed this, but some incidental metadata information still gets dropped off. There's also a litany of gripes that I have about how Apple and iTunes does certain things, but these are not limited to just the nano and probably are more appropriately addressed in an iTunes-specific review.
Whether or not you like the (Product) Red unit's color (my wife bought one first; I got hooked when I actually listened to her's), at least of portion of the purchase price does go for a worthy cause. After finally breaking down and actually buying a Zune even when I had said elsewhere on CNET that I would not, I still have a healthy appreciation for ease of iTunes, however flawed and bloated I think Version 7 happens to be. For the content packrat, it does take a bit of getting used to that the 8GB (Product) Red nano and the 30GB Zune (or 30GB 5.5G iPod, for that matter) are the same price; actually, the Zune was cheaper because of Newegg's discounting, whereas the red nano was only available direct from Apple. But that's the price one pays for smallness. And after trying (and returning) the Sandisk e280 as an Apple alternative (even though I realized this before I tried the e280, it's really not very alt if one's library is made up of a lot of non-DRM AACs, and boy did it have a lot of line noise), I still have to say that the iPod formula is still the easiest and friendliest means of packing digital tunes around.
There may be jillions of these iPods around, but there's more to this than mere marketing. The ease of operation of the second-gen iPod nano is ample proof of that, even if it feels like one is joining the crowd. The latest nano is not perfect, but after the headaches and heartaches of fussing with that foul Zune software it's seems quite apparent to me that the iPod universe is still the leader of the pack even if it's sometimes lacking in a few of the details. -
I hate to admit it, but I am an Apple iPod convert........
by alpainter on January 7, 2007
Pros: weight, sound, ease of use, color, capacity, iTunes is pretty easy to use, goes loud as hell!
Cons: price (same as 30GB model that plays movies???), haven't been able to transfer songs I BOUGHT in Yahoo! to Nano yet, SCREW DRM AND MICROSOFT!!, may have to burn songs bought to a CD then transfer >:-(
Summary: I held out as long as possible (two years.) In fact, my first mp3 player was a mini, and I took it back within a couple of hours for a ...
Summary: I held out as long as possible (two years.) In fact, my first mp3 player was a mini, and I took it back within a couple of hours for a Rio Carbon Pearl. But I have to admit, this model won me over. It was an extremely close race between this and the Sansa E200 series, but I figured I know apple will be around for the long haul.
I LOVE IT, I can't believe I wrote that!! My wife has been bashing me all day because of the amount of garbage I talked about the iPods, and now I've got one!
I'm still trying to decide between the sony buds I love, and the "house" buds that came with the player. I'd give 10/10 if I didn't have to transfer/burn my purchased Yahoo! Unlimited tracks. I thought purchased meant I owned them, and I could do whatever I wanted. Tried to transfer directly, no luck. YUM recognized the iPod, accepted the music, but couldn't play it. AGAIN I SAY, SCREW DRM!Updated
Now that I've got all of my music on the player, THIS THING IS GREAT!! Get on, now. -
I love the new Nanos
by ATC Dude on January 5, 2007
Pros: The aluminum body is very slick, nice screen
Cons: Expensive for only 8 gigs
Summary: The new iPod Nanos really benefit from the new aluminum bodies. I put one of these in my wife's stocking for Christmas, and she's had to hide it ...
Summary: The new iPod Nanos really benefit from the new aluminum bodies. I put one of these in my wife's stocking for Christmas, and she's had to hide it from me so I don't use it myself. It's really nice. I wish they made the regular iPods out of aluminum because it really helps with the scratch problem. I think they're a bit expensive for only 8 gigs, especially when you consider the 30 gig is about the same price. All in all, these things are sweet!
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If you love music you will love this iPod's size and capability
by chljr on November 28, 2006
Pros: small size, Easy to use and learn, Great song capacity
Cons: ear buds hurt ears after short time
Summary: I take this everywhere and listen to it in my car in my home and for walks and doctors office waiting rooms etc. When they first came out with the ...
Summary: I take this everywhere and listen to it in my car in my home and for walks and doctors office waiting rooms etc. When they first came out with the 4 gig red iPod I strongly considered replacing my 1st gen iPod but didn't because it was not any bigger in capacity. When the 8 gig 2nd gen came out I purchased it as soon I it was advertised and I must say I am extremely happy with it (and so was my buddy who got my old 4 gig 1st gen Nano). If you need to take your whole music collection with you get a regular iPod, but The reason I purchased the Nano was because of its all solid state memory. Bumps and sudden movements do not effect this iPod at all and the 8 gig capacity is fantastic. I love my iPod. This product would have score a perfect rating if it were not for the earbuds.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Apple
- Part number: MA899LL/A
- Description: You make choices every day, from the clothes you wear to the music you play. Now making a choice means making a difference. Sleek, lightweight iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED delivers everything you'd expect from the world's best-selling digital music player. It features a brilliant, 1.5-inch color display and up to 24 hours of battery life. Seamless iTunes integration that lets you import your CDs and shop for songs, podcasts, and audiobooks on the iTunes Store, then sync them in minutes. All in a durable aluminum enclosure that tells the world you've chosen to join the Apple iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition.
General
- Product type Digital player
- PC interface(s) supported USB
- Flash memory installed 8 GB Integrated
- Digital storage None
- Weight 1.4 oz
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 1.6 in x 0.3 in x 3.5 in
- Body material Anodized aluminum
- Color Red
- Included accessories Docking station adapter
- iPod Generation 2G
Carrying Case
- Case type None
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless
- Playback modes Repeat all, One track repeat, Random play / shuffle
- Response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Supported bit rate 16 - 320 Kbps
- ID3 tags support Yes
- External hard drive function Yes
- Additional features Variable bit-rate compatible
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display LCD
- Diagonal size 1.5 in
- Resolution 176 x 132
- Backlight display Yes
- Display illumination color Blue-white
- Display menu language Czech, Dutch, Greek, Danish, French, German, Korean, Polish, English, Finnish, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Japanese, Hungarian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional)
Audio Features
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Amplifier response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Timer Wake, Sleep, Stopwatch
- Built-in clock Alarm, Timer, Digital clock
- Additional features Calendar, Date display, Built-in games, Volume limiter, Upgradeable firmware, USB 2.0 compatibility
Video Playback Features
- Still image format JPEG
CD System
- Playback modes Repeat all, Random play, One track repeat
- Digital audio standards supported AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless
- ID3 tag support Yes
Equalizer
- Equalizer type Built-in
- Equalizer factory preset qty 20
Remote Control
- Remote control None
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Impedance 32 Ohm
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included 1 x USB cable - External
- Connector type 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Docking station
Battery / Power
- Battery Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
- Mfr estimated battery life 24 hour(s)
- Recharge time 3 hour(s)
- Power device type None
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices USB port
- Operating system Apple MacOS X 10.3.9 or later, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or later, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2 or later, Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 or later
Product series
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Apple iPod Nano (2nd generation, 4GB, green)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: Digital player, 4 GB, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless, Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Apple iPod Nano (2nd generation, 4GB, silver)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: Digital player, 4 GB, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless, Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Apple iPod Nano (2nd generation, 4GB, blue)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: Digital player, 4 GB, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless, Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Apple iPod Nano (2nd generation, 4GB, pink)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: Digital player, 4 GB, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless, Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Apple iPod Nano (2nd generation, 2GB, silver)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: Digital player, 2 GB, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless, Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Apple iPod Nano (2nd generation, 8GB, black)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: Digital player, 8 GB, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless, Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Apple iPod Nano (Product) Red (4GB)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: Digital player, 4 GB, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless, Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: Digital player, 8 GB, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, Apple Lossless, Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Apple
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Apple products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.apple.com
- Address:
One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014 - Phone: 1-408-996-1010
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