The iPod Mini used the touch sensitive wheel of the third generation iPods. However,unlike the third generation iPods,the iPod Mini did not have the four buttons placed above the wheel, but under the wheel as mechanical buttons(from where Apple came up with the name "click wheel"). In order for one of the four buttons to be activated,users must physically push the edge of the wheel above the label of the desired button.Like its predecessors,the click wheel of the iPod Mini was developed for Apple by Synaptics, and this carried on throughout the fourth,fifth and sixth generations of iPods, as well as the fist five generations of the iPod Nano.
However,since fifth generation iPods and Nanos, the click wheel was developed by Apple. Above the wheel,one can find an 138x110 LCD monochrome screen which displays menus or information regarding the currently playing track.Since the iPod Mini,all newer models of the iPod started using color displays. Both generations of the iPod Mini have almost identical external features,except for two noticeable changes. The play/pause,fast forward/next track, fast backward/previous track and menu buttons on the click wheel of the second generation are colored the same as their casing,as in the first generation they are all colored gray.
Another external change is the engraving of the GB capacity on the back of the device, as in first generation Minis,it was not. No other important external change is present as the main changes regard battery and capacity modifications. Both devices are 3.6x2.0x0.5 inches and weight 102 grams. Both generations have an anodized aluminum case.The first generation came in five colors:pink, blue, green, silver and gold. Since the second generation,the gold model was dropped due to unpopularity,and the pink,blue and green models were given higher hues.The silver model was the only one untouched.
The iPod Mini line used a Microdrive hard drive for memory storage,developed by Hitachi and Seagate. The first generation models were available only in a 4 GB version,as second generation models could be bought in both 4 and 6 GB versions,that had the possibility of storing roughly 1000 and 1500 songs respectively. Eventually,the second generation models had their memory laser etched into their case.The first generation iPod Minis had a battery life of eight hours,which was highly criticized due to its short duration,as well as third generation iPods which had the same problem.The problem was addressed in the second generation and Apple increased the battery life up to 18 hours.