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New iPod nanos apparently shipping in extra-small

by Michael Rose Sep 17th 2008 at 12:30PM

It's a mystery: as Engadget reports, there are new iPod nanos showing up at some Dutch retailers... in a 4 gigabyte capacity. Huh? This wasn't part of the announcement last week, and it's not clear why you'd want to pick up a nano in a smaller capacity than the original iPod for actual use, as opposed to for its investment value.

UK gadget site Pocket-lint has word from Apple that 4GB, 4th Gen nanos were produced "in a limited number" for some international markets, but they were never on the overall product roadmap. Were they intended to hit Dutch retail, or only for online sales? Could be a shipping mixup, could be clearing out inventory, could be on purpose -- but perhaps a collector's item for US customers.

Now we have word from Dutch blog One More Thing that indeed the 4GB units are being sold, in all nine colors, for €119. Amazon's German site is also selling the units.

Engadget has a lovely gallery of the low-cap iPods up for your viewing pleasure.

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It's a mystery: as Engadget reports, there are new iPod nanos showing up at some Dutch retailers... in a 4 gigabyte capacity. Huh? This...
 

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SPIDEY X

look u guys i've just bought a 4gig ipod nano for mah gal here in holland it looks kewl
but u know wats funny
is that they don't have the new ipod touch yet
wtf
i'm still waiting

September 19 2008 at 2:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
R Muffet

They've shown up in Australia too.

Dick Smith Electronics (large consumer electronics retailer, equivalent of Frys) has a catalog entry:
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/48d1d75d148cea36273fc0a87e0106db/Product/View/A3961

Described as "Limited Release."

4GB is priced at A$169 AUD. (8GB = $199 AUD, 16GB = $279 AUD.)

September 18 2008 at 12:26 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dave

After all, it's a very small country ...

September 17 2008 at 8:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dominik Hahn

They were sold on Amazon.de and we all thought this was a mistake. :-D

September 17 2008 at 2:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ariel

Apple has said that certain countries are getting a limited number of lower-speced Nanos.

September 17 2008 at 2:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tim

Maybe they got a substandard shipment of memory chips and decided to make the best of it?

September 17 2008 at 2:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mike

I like the idea that Apple changed their minds at the last minute from 4 and 8GB sized to 8 and 16GB sizes, and a few 4GB were produced.

That would also explain why the 16GB model I ordered Sunday is still "not yet shipped"...

September 17 2008 at 1:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Mike's comment
driftwood

Just an FYI, it took them 6 days to ship mine.

September 17 2008 at 4:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mpantone

Considering that "4GB" is plainly etched onto the device and customs and store stocking/pricing procedures, it is doubtful that this was "by accident."

Apple has enough retail data to know if a particular market is especially sensitive to price thresholds for a given model.

September 17 2008 at 1:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
superpixel

Years of legal weed in Holland made for poor memory in the nanos, hence the 4GB configuration. "That's all we can remember!"

September 17 2008 at 1:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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