iPod Nano (updated)

Enough said. Apple, you had to see them to believe them, these guys are really amazing. Nevermind Rokr, you were never meant to be the real secret weapon of Apple this time.

Spec:

Storage: 2GB or 4GB
Screen: 1.5 inch color LCD with backlight
Battery life: 14 hours (just music); 4 hours (music with slideshow)
Connect to USB through dock connector
Click Wheel
Format support: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF
Photo support: Syncs iPod-viewable photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only) and PNG formats
Weight: 1.5 ounces (42.5 grams) [about 2 iPod Shuffles]

BTW, I just worked out a cost by GB comparison of the whole iPod family here. As you can see, the price/GB for Nano is actually not too bad when comparing with the mini, which has no photo support and no color screen. However, this comparison is only true for the 4GB model; the 2GB model is not going to be a great buy, faring almost as bad as a 1GB shuffle on cost/GB.

So, who is the Nano targeting for? I guess it can become the 2nd iPod of choice, replacing the shuffle. Also, Nano is the lightweight iPod of choice for anyone who does not want a full size iPod, now that the mini is gone. Beyond that, I can imagine a big maybe for phasing out the shuffle in the no-so-near future. This will go well with the slim product line that Jobs & Co. like, and will be beneficial to the overall brand, if the so-called V-Pod were introduced in the near future.

(Update: the iPod mini is not completely phase-out yet, you can still find it on Apple's online store for Hong Kong.)

Updated :
1016hrs Sept 7th. with additional commentary