American Technology Research senior analyst Shaw Wu today reiterated his belief that Apple's new iPod nano will miss its expected summer introduction. "We continue to believe that the new iPod nano (aka mini vPod) refreshes are facing transition issues due to an architecture move to an SoC vs. its present 3-chip solution," Wu said. "In terms of timing, we continue to believe calendar Q4 is most likely, specifically October and at the earliest, late Q3, meaning the second half of September." Wu also noted the possible transition to metal enclosures for the Cupertino-based company's new Nano. "An interesting data point we have picked up on the new Nanos is a new magnesium-based casing," the analyst wrote. "We believe this new casing will improve scratch-resistance, durability, and help lower Apple's support and warranty costs." Shaw Wu maintains a "Buy" rating on shares of Apple with a price target of $75.

The analyst suspects that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will focus his forthcoming World Wide Developers Conference keynote speech exclusively on the Mac, avoiding iPod related announcements, according to AppleInsider.

Wu expects Jobs to unveil Apple's last two Mac systems, those being Pro desktops and servers to replace the company's aging G5 Power Mac and Xserve offerings. The analyst also expects Apple to touch on the latest version of Mac OS X under development, codenamed "Leopard."

"In addition, we anticipate a preview on Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, its next-generation operating system that will one up Microsoft Vista," Wu wrote. "With respect to Steve Jobs' track record and element of surprise, we are prepared to see something that no one anticipated."