With all the iPhone and iPad mini rumors that have been around recently, iPod news has been pretty minimal. But today, images have surfaced that seem to reveal the design for the next generation iPod nano and iPod touch.

First up, here’s the iPod nano, notice the return of the rectangular form factor and slim design. These cases seem to fit rather nicely with a rumor from Japanese blog Macotakara that hit the web in July that claimed the next iPod nano feature a large rectangular touch screen and a home button, with Wi-Fi capabilities also built in. Providing that these designs and rumors are legit, the device probably won’t feature a full version of  iOS, but rather a watered down version, similar to that on the current generation iPod nano.

These cases – from Italian company Puro – are not yet for sale, but these images were sent to retailers for advertisement.

Next up, the iPod touch, which seems to have had a slight redesign which incorporates a larger screen, which is excellent news but not particularly surprising considering that every iPod touch to date has been based on the iPhone of the time. Also featured on the case is a larger camera cutout, which could point to a better quality camera, or even camera flash. This may not be such a far out idea considering that we’ve recently seen a higher quality camera on the new iPad, which doesn’t even need a rear facing camera.

Another notable feature is what appears to be a chunkier design, something that may be to accommodate more internal features, which is hardly surprising, as the technology inside the current iPod touch is now two years old.

Strangely, both these devices have mysterious cutouts at the bottom, whether these are for speakers or another feature is currently unknown.

Let me know what you think of these designs, and what you hope the mysterious hole is for in the comments below.

Via: MacRumors