Since the words “box” and “case” are often used interchangeably, it seems appropriate on Boxing Day to update the story about the mysterious iPhone Nano case that a Chinese case manufacturer is selling, well in advance of any iPhone Nano product actually being announced.
Ars Technica has the story that this case can now actually be purchased for about $25. It does seem odd that the manufacturer would actually sell cases for a product nobody knows to exist yet, doesn’t it?
Ars suggests that, if it does exist, the Nano might end up being the “$99 Wal-Mart iPhone” that has also been rumored lately.
If it exists, will the Nano have a lower resolution, thus causing all sorts of software incompatibility issues on the Apple Store? Or will it be the same resolution but a higher number of dots per inch (DPI), causing lots of headaches and eyestrain as people try to tap even smaller buttons on the virtual keyboard?
There is precedent for keeping the same resolution on a smaller screen; Palm moved that way with its Zire, keeping the same resolution as its Palm III and V but shrinking the screen size down.
And will it make a decent e-reading machine even at the smaller screen size?
If it exists, we’ll just have to wait and see.
