The Evolution of the Apple iPod Nano

The first sign that a new Apple iPod nano was on the way occurred when stock of iPod nanos was reportedly running low at stores everywhere. Then it made a headline appearance in search results on Apple's own site early Wednesday ahead of Apple's event. Later that same day, it did indeed take the stage with the iPhone 5( at Amazon) and a new iPod touch.

Of all the iPod models, the nano has had the most varied career. It's taken up filmmaking, and it was even a bit of a gamer. It endured a shakeup in 2008 when it got a shake-to-shuffle feature. The nano's design has also changed considerably over the years. It now closely resembles its cousin, the iPod touch. Before that, it went from tall and thin to shorter and squatter and then became immensely tiny (and, at the same time, a total square). It's even become something of a fitness nut lately, thanks to the addition of Nike+.

Now, the nano has revived a bit of its former cinematic career since it once again has the ability to play video (previously available in the third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation models), though not the ability to record video (previously available in the fourth- and fifth-generation models). It hasn't taken up photography as a hobby (yet), but it can display photos (as could the first-, second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-generation nanos). It's a better DJ, streaming music wirelessly to Bluetooth speakers. The music-centric nano, which has playback of 30 hours, also includes an FM tuner and the ability to pause live radio.

Because the iPod nano has been around the block, we thought we'd take a look back at all its recall scandals and its design successes, E! True Hollywood Story-style. Have a snoop through the gallery below.

1. First Generation

For those who missed the compactness of the iPod mini, there came the iPod nano. At just 3.5-by-1.6 inches and about a quarter inch thick, it was, as its name suggests, even smaller than the mini and held 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB of music. Steve Jobs introduced it on stage in September 2005 and showed how it fit in his jeans' watch pocket. Instead of a hard drive, the nano relied on flash memory. The first-generation nano came in black and white. Those craving the color of the mini could slip the iPod nano into one of Apple's pink, purple, blue, or green Tubes.

The first-generation nano was recalled in November 2011 due to overheating issues. Recallees were probably not too upset since they received a sixth-generation 8-gig nano in its place.

2. Second Generation

The nano developed a thinner but more resilient skin in its second incarnation in September 2006. Encased in anodized aluminum, it came in six colors—silver, pink, green, blue, black, and a PRODUCT (RED) version for AIDS awareness. Capacity was 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB, but, strangely, the 2GB model came only in silver, the 4GB versions did not come in black, and the 8GB came only in black at first and later in PRODUCT (RED).

3. Third Generation

The third-generation nano shape-shifted, getting shorter and wider—and, not uncoincidentally, it became better for watching video. With 4GB or 8GB capacity, users could store a few hundred songs and still have room left over to use the nano's newest feature to watch a movie or two on the QVGA screen. They could also admire Apple's latest iOS handiwork with the Cover Flow feature. The third-gen nano was released in September 2007 and came in silver, emerald, turquoise, black, pink, and a PRODUCT (RED) version.

4. Fourth Generation

The fourth-generation nano came in the widest rainbow (nine colors: silver, black, purple, light blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, and PRODUCT (RED)) and was curved like one. It was available in 8GB or 16GB capacity, with a limited supply of 4GB models in Europe. The nano included a new shake-to-shuffle feature that was made possible by the addition of an accelerometer, spoken menus for the visually impaired, and the Genius playlist. Apple touted the fourth-gen nano's environmental friendliness thanks to its recyclable aluminum enclosure and arsenic-free glass, as well as its lack of brominated flame retardant, mercury, and PVC.

5. Fifth Generation

While keeping to the same colors as the previous generation, the fifth-generation nano distinguished itself with a polished anodized aluminum finish. More than that, the nano added video-recording capability, along with voice recording, a built-in speaker, an FM radio, and a pedometer. The fifth-gen nano was introduced in September 2008 and came in 8GB and 16GB.

6. Sixth Generation

The sixth-generation nano seems to have inherited more from the shuffle side of the iPod family than its direct line of nano predecessors. Shrunk to a small, clippable, one-and-a-half-inch square, it lost video capabilities and voice recording (unless users upgraded their earbuds to mic-enabled ones). This latest nano, which was released in September 2010, did gain a touch-screen interface, though. It was available in six colors at 8GB or 16GB.

7. Seventh Generation

The latest generation of the nano is very much a return to original form. The nano is once again tall and slim and capable of playing videos and holding photo albums. It retains the FM tuner, Nike+ integration, and touch screen of the sixth generation. New to the model is the capability to connect to other devices wirelessly with Bluetooth. It also comes with Apple's EarPods, a much-improved version of its Earphones. The seventh-generation nano comes in eight colors, each with matching wallpaper: slate, silver, purple, pink, yellow, green, blue, and PRODUCT (RED).