IPod Mini

Not to be confused with iPad Mini.

The iPod Mini (stylized and marketed as the iPod mini) is a digital audio player that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was positioned as a smaller, midrange model in Apple's iPod product line to complement the iPod Classic. The device was announced on January 6, 2004, and released on February 20 of the same year.^[1][2] A second generation version with enhanced battery life and increased storage was released on February 23, 2005.^[3] While it was in production, it was one of the most popular electronic products on the market, with consumers often unable to find a retailer with the product in stock.^[4]

iPod mini

iPod Mini in Silver
Manufacturer	Apple Inc.
Product family	iPod
Type	Digital audio player
Lifespan	February 20, 2004 – September 7, 2005 (1 year, 6 months)
Media	Microdrive hard drive (either 4 or 6 GB)
Operating system	1.4.1
Display	1.67" monochrome LCD at 138 x 110 pixels
Input	Click wheel
Connectivity	USB 2.0 FireWire Dock connector Remote connector
Power	Lithium-ion battery
Model Number	A1051
Successor	iPod Nano

The iPod Mini was the first iPod device to use the click wheel, which was developed for Apple by Synaptics. It combined the touch-sensitive scroll wheel of the third generation iPod with buttons located beneath the wheel. This interface proved to be popular and was adopted for several later iPod models. Above the wheel is a monochrome 1.67" LCD that displays a menu or information about the selected track. The iPod Mini was discontinued on September 7, 2005, when it was succeeded by the iPod Nano.^[5][6]

Models

Model	Image	Capacity	Colors	Connection	Original release date	Minimum OS to sync	Rated battery life (hours)
1st generation		4 GB	colors — 5 Silver Blue Green Pink Gold	USB or FireWire	February 20, 2004	Mac: 10.1.5 or later[7] Windows: 2000 iTunes 4.6 or later	audio: 8
	New smaller model, available in 5 colors. Introduced the "Click Wheel".
2nd generation		4 GB	Silver Blue Green Pink	USB or FireWire	February 23, 2005	Mac: 10.2.8 or 10.3.4 or later[7] Windows: 2000 iTunes 4.7 or later	audio: 18
	6 GB
	Brighter color variants with longer battery life. Click Wheel lettering matched body color. Gold color discontinued. The second generation iPod Mini was the final monochrome iPod to be sold by Apple, with the larger iPod (fourth generation) replaced with color screen models in early 2005.

Details

The two generations of iPod Mini are almost identical apart from minor cosmetic differences. The first generation model has gray control symbols on the click wheel, while those on the second generation match the color of the body. Their major functional differences lay in their storage capacity and battery life. Both versions measure 3.6x2.0x0.5 inches (91x51x13 mm) and weigh 3.6 ounces (102 grams). The case is made from anodized aluminium. First generation iPod Minis were available in five colors: silver, gold, pink, blue, and green. The gold model was dropped from the second generation range. The pink, blue, and green models received brighter hues in the second generation but the silver model remained unchanged.

The iPod Mini uses Microdrive hard drives (CompactFlash II) made by Hitachi and Seagate. First generation models were available in a 4 GB size, while second generation models were available in both 4 GB and 6 GB versions (quoted as capable of storing roughly 1,000 and 1,500 songs, respectively). Second generation models have their capacity laser etched into the aluminum case.

The iPod Mini's Microdrive (4 GB Hitachi model), seen here on the right

The battery life for the first generation iPod Mini was criticized for its 8 hour duration,^[8] similar to the third generation iPod that was available at the time. Apple addressed this problem in the second generation models by increasing the battery life to about 18 hours, at the cost of removing the included FireWire and AC adapter cables to avoid increasing selling costs. A proprietary Apple 30-pin dock connector is located on the bottom of the device. The iPod Mini can charge and transfer files when connected to a computer via USB or FireWire. Along the top, it has a hold switch, a headphone jack, and a remote connector for accessories.

The iPod Mini supports MP3, AAC/M4A, WAV, AIFF, and Apple Lossless audio formats. It supports integration with iTunes and the iTunes Store, allowing for syncing of content between the software application and the iPod Mini.

Modification

Soon after the release of the iPod Mini, many third-party replacement batteries became available. By following online instructions, users could replace the battery themselves and avoid having to send the iPod back to Apple.^[9] Many third-party batteries also claimed a higher capacity than the 450 mAh original stock battery – some claiming up to 1,300 mAh^[10][11] Commonly advertised capacities of third-party batteries are 500 mAh^[12] and 750 mAh.^{[13][14][15][16][17]}

The iPod Mini could be flashed to run iPodLinux or Rockbox firmware which has support for extra codecs, games and various other plugins and allowed music placed directly on the iPod to be played without using iTunes. Users have replaced the 4 or 6 GB Microdrive with high capacity 8, 16,^[18] 32, 64 and even 256 GB CompactFlash and SD cards. Aside from increased capacity, this has the advantage of increasing battery life and making the Mini more durable since CompactFlash cards are solid-state with no moving parts.

Timeline of compact iPod models v t e
See also: Timeline of full-sized iPod models and Timeline of iPod models and related products Sources: Apple press release library,[19] Mactracker Apple Inc. model database[20]