iPod New nano and Nike+ still needs the ipod part?

[tezmo]

Back in the day the nike+ I used with my gen1 nano came in two parts - one for your shoe and one that went in the 30pin dock connector? I was thinking after watching the press conference how good the new nano would be for exercise and so I wondered whether you still needed the dubbery that plugs in the ipod, or whether the new nanos could talk directly to the nike+ shoe lozenge?

Any insights and or flames gratefully received - thank you all

 

[roland.g]

I confirmed as suspected that like the Touch, iP4 and 3GS, (not sure about 5G Nano) that the new Nano does indeed carry the Nike+ built in. It is only necessary to link it to the shoe. No dock dongle required. Happy running!

This is one of the main reasons I will buy my wife a new Nano. The other is the clip.

 

[tezmo]

Hell. Yes. Thank you, roland - definite purchase for me now

 

[Googlyhead]

the new Nano does indeed carry the Nike+ built in.

How / where did you get this confirmed? Link?
Not that I dis/believe you, but the only info I found on the subject (yesterday) was the tech specs @Apple stating 'Nike+ support' vs the touch having Nike+ 'Built in' - which led me to formulate the opinion that it still needs a dongle.

Would also like to know if anyone else is reading this; did (does) the previous edition require a dongle?

 

[roland.g]

How / where did you get this confirmed? Link?
Not that I dis/believe you, but the only info I found on the subject (yesterday) was the tech specs @Apple stating 'Nike+ support' vs the touch having Nike+ 'Built in' - which led me to formulate the opinion that it still needs a dongle.

Would also like to know if anyone else is reading this; did (does) the previous edition require a dongle?

1. If you go to the iPod Nano page at Apple.com you will see a section on Nike+ near the bottom of the page of features. You can see that there is a woman stretching the grass wearing Nike shoes and the new Nano. It would be grossly misleading not to photograph the dock dongle attached as well as it shows her preparing to run.

2. I contacted Apple Chat through the web store and chatted online with a sales support rep who told me that the new Nano did indeed have Nike+ built in and that it did not require the dock dongle. However, not wanting to mislead me, she checked further, and while I do not know if this was in speaking to someone in the know or simply checking any sort of documentation, she came back saying that she was able to confirm that it was built in and only the sensor was required.

Based on #2 with #1 giving me further peace of mind, at this point I have no reason to doubt that it is built in. Furthermore, there is obvious backlash in the Apple MR community at the shrunken state of the new Nano, removal of speaker, video, and camera, in what many believe is a reduction of features. I took the train last week for the first time to work and noticed many many Nanos in people's hand. Likewise I see them at the gym and in runner's hands and in armbands at the park. This is a very popular workout/running iPod. I see that Apple is targeting that segment very specifically as well as those who commute with it, whether students or professionals. It makes total sense to include the clip. And the inclusion of the Nike+ is a no brainer. You are marketing a small device for working out. No one wants to have to remember to add a dongle to the bottom.

 

[Seantos]

I am confused by the capability description on this page:

http://www.apple.com/ipod/compare-ipod-models/

It describes the new nano as "Nike + iPod support" where as the ipod touch has "Nike + iPod support built in". Is there an actual difference?

I took that to mean the new nano works with nike + (ie supported) but that you needed the dongle, where as the dongle is basically built into the ipod Touch.

Edit:

I think I found my answer here:
http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/run.html

Grab your iPod nano, iPod touch, iPhone 3GS, or iPhone 4, a pair of Nike+ shoes, and the Nike + iPod Sport Kit or Sensor. Put the sensor in your Nike+ shoe — there’s a built-in pocket specifically designed for it under the insole. Then connect the receiver to your iPod nano. iPod touch, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 include built-in support for Nike + iPod, so no receiver is necessary. The sensor tracks your run, then sends the data to your iPod.

 

[phantomsd]

EDIT: Ah, Seantos beat me to it

I'm also planning on getting the new nano for running purposes and I would hate to have to plug in the dongle.

I'm still kind of baffled why they would include the dongle in the marketing pics though...

and unless they haven't updated this blurb on the Apple/Nike+ run site...

Grab your iPod nano, iPod touch, iPhone 3GS, or iPhone 4, a pair of Nike+ shoes, and the Nike + iPod Sport Kit or Sensor. Put the sensor in your Nike+ shoe — there’s a built-in pocket specifically designed for it under the insole. Then connect the receiver to your iPod nano. iPod touch, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 include built-in support for Nike + iPod, so no receiver is necessary. The sensor tracks your run, then sends the data to your iPod.

... I'm afraid it might be needed.

I hope this isn't the case though... *fingers crossed*

 

[ConnorTurnbull]

Also, go to the sports kit store page and you will see this image:

It's a bit of disappointment for me to but come on, it's small enough. An extra dongle isn't that much and if you lose it, not too much to replace.

 

[roland.g]

Also, go to the sports kit store page and you will see this image:

It's a bit of disappointment for me to but come on, it's small enough. An extra dongle isn't that much and if you lose it, not too much to replace.

My wife often leaves the house and forgets the dongle, because she stretches and walks a block or two before beginning her running workout. But each time she syncs her Nano she has to take it out to sync it. My thought was that between the built-in receiver and the clip, this would be a great replacement for her. But after speaking to one chat agent this morning and then seeing some of the comments here and the same info you posted from the Sport Kit page, I contacted a 2nd agent who confirmed this time the opposite from earlier, that you did indeed need the dongle. I then contacted customer relations and was informed that while they did not know they would find out and get back to me. However, all signs point to it not being built in. And while it is not so terrible, it is rather unfortunate, and may preclude us from replacing our 2nd generation Nanos which otherwise work just fine and require the dongle anyway.

I did tell customer relations that the image below is false advertising, as it misleads people to think that all they need is the sensor.
From http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/features.html#fitness

 

[ConnorTurnbull]

My wife often leaves the house and forgets the dongle, because she stretches and walks a block or two before beginning her running workout. But each time she syncs her Nano she has to take it out to sync it. My thought was that between the built-in receiver and the clip, this would be a great replacement for her. But after speaking to one chat agent this morning and then seeing some of the comments here and the same info you posted from the Sport Kit page, I contacted a 2nd agent who confirmed this time the opposite from earlier, that you did indeed need the dongle. I then contacted customer relations and was informed that while they did not know they would find out and get back to me. However, all signs point to it not being built in. And while it is not so terrible, it is rather unfortunate, and may preclude us from replacing our 2nd generation Nanos which otherwise work just fine and require the dongle anyway.

I did tell customer relations that the image below is false advertising, as it misleads people to think that all they need is the sensor.
From http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/features.html#fitness

I agree with you. Would of loved the sensor to be built in, even if it made it a little thicker. But in regards to that image, isn't that just to say you can use it for listening to music whilst running, not actually using Nike+

 

[roland.g]

I agree with you. Would of loved the sensor to be built in, even if it made it a little thicker. But in regards to that image, isn't that just to say you can use it for listening to music whilst running, not actually using Nike+

A stretch, but maybe. However you scroll down to

"Learn more about Nike + iPod" in the Rock Your Workout section below the picture and click on that which takes you to http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/ and if you then click on "Rock and Run" next to picture of the same woman in a red shirt running with a new Nano (no receiver plugged in) you get to this page: http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/run.html

With this picture at the top.



All their pages for Nike+ now show people running, one would assume using the Nike+ shoes, sensor, system, and new Nanos - dongle free.

 

[Googlyhead]

It's a bit of disappointment for me to but come on, it's small enough. An extra dongle isn't that much and if you lose it, not too much to replace.

Not really small enough; gives the appearance of doubling the size of the new nano (ok, I know it's a little less, but for all intents, it's bulkier).
And for me, it's the difference between getting the new version or not: I could care less about camera and speaker; will miss video but not essential; storage is the same...
What would the new one offer me? Compact with no need for sticky out bits, or; oh. Right. Um. A little smaller with the dongle, which will be pretty much permanently attached in my case, thus losing it's 'wearable' benefit.