Since being introduced almost four weeks ago the iPod nano has taken the MP3 market by storm, earning accolades from reviewers and industry analysts alike, but not everyone is completely satisfied. Some customers have complained about scratched and/or broken screens on their iPod nano, leading one user to even set up a Web site to outline his problems.
Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller said there are two completely separate issues going on here. One is the broken screen and the other is the complaint about the iPod screen scratches.
iPod nano owner Matthew Peterson setup his Web site, flawedmusicplayer.com (formerly ipodnanoflaw.com), to share his grievances about his broken iPod nano screen. Peterson invited others to send in pictures of their iPod nano screens, which he posted to the Web site.
In addressing the broken screens, the first of the two issues, Apple said that they have tracked down the problem.
“This is a real but minor issue involving a vendor quality problem in a small number of units,” Schiller told MacCentral. “In fact, this issue has affected less than 1/10 of 1 percent of the total iPod nano units that we’ve shipped. It is not a design issue.”
Schiller said that if customers find they have this problem, all they have to do is contact AppleCare and their iPod will be replaced.
The second issue deals with complaints posted on Web sites that say the iPod nano screen scratches too easy, perhaps even being more susceptible to scratching than previous iPod models.
Apple said that the screens on the iPod nano are made with the same material that is found in the company’s fourth-generation iPod, which, to date, is complaint free.
“We have received very few calls from customers reporting this problem – we do not think this is a widespread issue,” said Schiller. “If customers are concerned about scratching we suggest they use one of the many iPod nano cases to protect their iPod.”