New pictures from a Chinese case manufacturer suggest that the next-gen iPod Touch and iPod Nano will get video recording.
CoM has acquired new pictures of clay models used to make molds for iPod cases. The clay models appear to show a microphone next to the camera on the back.
See the full picture of the iPod Touch model below — there’s a small, round hole to the immediate right of the camera. The shape and placement suggests it is a microphone (or possibly a status light, like the green status light on Apple’s iSight camera to show it is active and recording).
And since a microphone is of little use for taking still pictures, its presence on the new iPods suggest both devices will be able to record video.
In addition, all the new iPod cases published by CoM last week have cutouts next to the camera.
The cutouts look as though they are designed to accommodate a microphone. As previously reported, Chinese cases makers are so confident they have the specs and dimensions of the new iPods, they are already making cases for them.
The same cutouts are present in dozens of cases from several different manufacturers, suggesting they all got the same intelligence (which may be faulty of course).
One case manufacturer, who asked not to be identified, said her company didn’t know the hardware capabilities of the new iPods, but was very confident about their outside dimensions.
“We just got the size of these new iPod products and knew both of Touch 3 & Nano 5 have a camera,” she wrote in email. “I’m not sure for the other details.”
UPDATE: As reader G points out in the comment below, the round hole next to the camera is more likely a microphone than a status light. The story has been updated to reflect that.