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Possible iPhone Nano revealed in patent application

Multi-touch iPod

Possible iPhone Nano revealed in patent application
Since the iPhone 3GS appeared, rumours have gone deathly silent on the iPhone front. But it seems Apple still hasn't unchained its R&D bods from their drawing boards, as another patent application has been discovered coming out of Cupertino.

Whether or not this will evolve into an iPhone Nano is unclear (and a little unlikely), but this is probably the source of such rumours. The application shows a multi-touch, touchscreen-powered version of the iPod nano, with a more traditional pressure-sensitive panel mounted on the back for the click wheel.

But one aspect that raises a technological eyebrow is the inclusion of a touchscreen keyboard. While this could be employed in a variety of on-device uses (entering your own titles or notes onto songs, videos or playlists), the effort involved in embedding such a function also suggests the possibility of email, text messaging and an IM function, bringing us back around to a miniaturised iPhone.

Whether this new device - iPod or iPhone - will attempt to rejuvenate the iPod gaming scene is unknown, but it certainly looks to have the potential





Yes. Spanner's his real name. And, yes, he's heard that joke before.