G2 Nano 8GB Rocks Longer, Harder and Better than the G1

As the owner of a G1, 4GB Nano, I was naturally curious to compare the new, G2 8GB Nano to see what had changed. The short answer is: a lot.

The G1 Nano was revolutionary for its size, capacity, battery life, screen clarity and package. It was also revolutionary in that it was not a cut-down product, missing lots of key features offered on the more expensive, full-size iPod. This trend continues with the 8GB G2 Nano. It is by no means a featureless version of the hard drive models but rather, a unique product.

Improvements abound in the G2. The physical package is a more robust aluminum housing versus the thin steel shell and plastic front of its predecessor. This gives the G2 a better feel in the hand. It just feel more substantial than the G1. It also resists fingerprints which is a major improvement over the G1. The size makes it difficult to handle and use without getting fingerprints all over a package this size and the brushed/anodized aluminum makes this problem go away.

The display is brighter than the G1 – noticeably brighter and clearer. For a small screen, details on album art are easy to see and text from calendar and contact entries are very readable. Apple gets high marks for its high contrast and color saturation. This display not only communicates with clarity, but it does it with beauty as well.

Battery life has also been stretched from 14 hours to 20 hours. This depends of course on how the Nano is used, the setting for the backlight, etc., but this Nano has the battery capacity to go on and on without the need to recharge. When recharging is necessary, it recharges quickly form any USB port on any computer or from an Apple iPod power adapter. It is still compatible with the early Firewire chargers so if you have one left over from a very early iPod, it will still work with this new model.

Where the Nano departs form the larger iPod is in speed. Without mechanical memory involved (hard drive), the Nano is fast – really fast. It moves form song to song instantly, buffers ahead and awaits further instructions. It’s just really fast. For the musical schizophrenic (and I am one of them) this speed of changing from album to album, playlist to playlist can be helpful and a lot of fun.

Like the G1 Nano, the G2 Nano is compatible with all Universal Dock accessories on the market like the iSongbook. Dock it and you have full access to all of its functions even from wireless remotes.

One quirk (if one can call it that) which carried over is that once synced with iTunes, it needs a few seconds after being disconnected from the computer before it can be turned off. This is not a problem unless one is packing to head for the airport and a quick shut down is needed. It just takes the Nano a few seconds to transition from sync/dock mode to power down mode.

Battery life in sleep mode is excellent with the Nano. Early iPods could be put to sleep for several days and reawaken with low batteries and in “grumpy” moods. This has never been the case with the Nano. It can sleep for days and awaken with a full or nearly full battery.

The new Nano has been improved across the board, including price. The $249 price of the G2, 8GB model is exactly the same price as the G1 4GB model. So, better housing, improved display, improved battery life, more capacity for the same price looks like a good value to me.

As the owner of multiple iPods, the new Nano is my favorite. It offers a combination of features, speed of selection, battery life and size which makes it excellent for taking just about anywhere. Without the weight and size of a hard drive, it’s more resistant to bumps along the way and when properly encased in a protective housing, it can handle rougher on-the-go handling than the full size iPods. Simply put, the new Nano is a winner which retains all of the good features of the original and then some.