New Apple iPod Details Surface

Shaw Wu of American Technology Research revealed a number of features in Apple's upcoming iPod-nano and video iPods, but feels technical hurdles could set back their releases.

"We previously believed that new nanos and the widescreen video iPod could ship in Q3 and Q4, respectively," he tells clients in a research note, "however, we now believe that both could be delayed by a quarter or two."

The video iPod, Wu believes, will be moved to the first half of 2007 as it faces problems around its battery and screen combination.

"Apple is aiming to increase both the screen size and improve the battery life - two conflicting attributes that are difficult to improve simultaneously and require significant engineering," he writes.

It may be worth the wait, however. The new video-iPod will feature a host of new features and advancements over its predecessor, including an advanced graphics processor supplied by Nvidia adding "3D graphics functionality", and possibly wireless capabilities.

"Depending on how much progress is made, we are picking up that wireless Bluetooth headphones may or may not be included with this next-generation vPod (video-ipod)."

The video-iPods smaller sibling, the iPod-nano, faces its own problems as it transitions from its current 3-chip solution to a single "system-on-chip", or SOC, he explains.

Apple is addressing some of the issues of the previous iPod-nano, namely, its scratch-prone plastic shell will be replaced by

"a new magnesium-based casing," which is more "durable" and "scratch-resistant."

Despite these advancements, Wu believes "the price points will remain the same at $199 and $249, but that storage capacities will be doubled to 4GB and 8GB, up from 2GB and 4GB."

Shares of Apple Computer rose .23 percent to $60.86 on mid-day trading, on the Nasdaq.