Apple claims battery life is better on the nano, too: Up to 30 hours of music playback, vs. the last generation's 24. And the nano also now supports Bluetooth, for wireless streaming to speakers, headphones, and car systems. And the nano also comes with the new Lightning connector and the new Apple EarPods.

Apple will start taking pre-orders for the new iPod touch at the Apple Store (www.apple.com) starting September 14; the touch will start shipping in October. The 32GB model will have a suggested price of $299, the 64GB model will run $399.

The previous fourth-generation iPod touch will still be available, as well, for $199 (16GB) and $249 (32GB). Owners of the fourth-generation touch will be able to install iOS 6 as a free software update when , though they may not be able to take advantage of all of its features.

The iPod nano will also be available in October, with suggested pricing of $149 for a 16GB model.