Apple's preparing new iPod Nano and iPod Touch

How do you reinvent a mature product that has proved to be so successful that it defined the way people listen to music? Well, the answer might just be a few weeks away from now as rumours of a new iPod touch and iPod nano have reached our ears.

The jury is still out there waiting to decide whether the next iPod nano will look like Microsoft's Zune (although that might sound like heresy to some), a distinctive possibility according to ilounge which even showed an artist rendition of the "new" iPod which sports a screen with a 1.5:1 widescreen aspect ratio.

Furthermore, iPhone Atlas analysed the beta release of the iPhone 2.1 OS and found a possible reference to a future iPod touch model, the "iPod 2,1" which could potentially include GPS functionality.

There are also other rumours of a 64GB iTouch which would effectively mark the end of life for some hard disk based iPod Classic players have been echoed elsewhere, whereas the possibility of converting the iTouch into a mini gaming station - by adding a more powerful 3G engine - is an option that should get Apple mouthwatering.

But you can already discount rumours of an integrated digital camera; the rest of us will now have to wait till September and the Back to school period to catch a glimpse of the new members of the Apple family.