iPod Nano too fragile

Electronics firm Apple has admitted there have been problems with its new iPod Nano music player, after a string of complaints about damaged screens.

The smaller version of the popular iPod was hailed as a design breakthrough when it was unveiled a few weeks ago, with the cheapest model costing £140.

But users are now asking whether it is too fragile for everyday use. Apple has conceded there is a problem with one batch of Nanos and is offering buyers full refunds or replacements.

However, it has refused to say how many of the gadgets are faulty. Until now, the burden of compensating people who bought the faulty devices has rested on retailers.

Owners are complaining about cracked, scratched or inexplicably failing screens, sometimes within hours of buying the machine. A website has been set up to collate the complaints with a view to forcing Apple to address the issue.

The website, set up by Nano owner Matthew Peterson, is receiving e-mails at a rate of 30 per hour, according to Mr Peterson. At the launch of the Nano, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs introduced the "impossibly small" gadget - which is the thickness of five credit cards - by pulling the device out of his pocket.

But others have found that carrying the device in this manner has resulted in inexplicable damage to the music player, which Apple's UK website sells for £140 for a model which can store up to 500 songs and £180 for one which stores 1,000.