Defective iPod nano Screens in Tiny Fraction of Production Run--Replace Using AppleCare

Apple has acknowledged that in less than one-tenth of one percent of the initial production run of iPod nanos a vendor quality issue has resulted in "cracked" screens. Those iPod nanos will be replaced by Apple under the nano's AppleCare warranty according to several published accounts citing Apple executives. In addition, Apple explained that the iPod nanos are made from the same materials as the 4G iPods which have not shown a particular predilection toward being scratched sufficiently to generate complaints.

Our 20GB color-screen iPod has a moderate number of 3mm or so scratches on its plastic front and polished metal back when viewed closely under a high intensity desk light. Otherwise, they are invisible on the front and in no way interfere with the display of images on the iPod's color screen. It has been carried in an Apple wallet case since we bought it over four weeks ago.

Our two-week old iPod nano has a very small number of scratches similar to those on our 20GB iPod when viewed under the same light and invisible on the front otherwise. It has been carried "naked" in a shirt or jacket pocket when away from its USB cable atttached to an iMac G5. Again, the scratches do not interfere with images shown on the iPod nano's screen. So our experience is consistent with Apple's statement.

We chose a white iPod nano, as we noted in our hands-on review, partly because we expected black to show wear more than white. [Bill Fox]