Apple has apparently begun bundling a soft fabric slip-case with its iPod Nano, recent buyers of the diminutive digital-music player have claimed.

According to a forum post on iPod fan website iLounge, the new cases are white and stamped with the iPod logo. Essentially it's the same type of case that ships with the new video iPod, but slimmed down so the Nano fits more snuggly.

A series of pictures of the case have been posted here.

So is this tacit recognition on Apple's part that the Nano is particularly scratch-prone? 'Tacit' it certainly is - there's no mention of the case on Apple's iPod Nano website or on the AppleStore Nano purchase page. The latter fact suggests the company hasn't reprinted the box art, just simply tucked the case in among the carton's other contents.

Whether it's an admission that there's a problem or not, the move should ensure that virgin Nanos remain less likely to be scratched by users who treat them less carefully than other iPod owners do. Apple's spreadsheets no doubt show it's cheaper to give away the free case than than take the cost of replacing scratched Nanos, no matter how few are returned. ®