Now that the iPhone has almost arrived, Apple is starting work on a new version of the iPod and possibly the iPhone. A recent patent filing reveals a new full-screen iPod that uses touch controls located on the back of the device. A user will slide his thumb along the back to browse through menus while applying pressure to act as a “click” or “selection”. Feel me so far?
The technology in question makes perfect sense. If you have an iPod Nano lying around, grab it and look at the current screen. Your thumb would cover that display up, so a touch-screen on a device of that size wouldn’t really work. It looks like the infamous iPod clickwheel will return as a virtualized version too. Take a gander at the top right of the patent drawing and you’ll see a numpad, which could indicate an iPhone Nano or an iPod Nano with numerical input capability. Either way, the best idea for now is to just sit back, relax, and wait to see what forms out of all this.
Next Gen iPod and iPhone Nano [Unwired Review]