If you missed Apple's new iPod lineup among the frenzy that surrounded last month's iPhone 5 announcement, you aren't alone. But these were the first new iPods from Apple in two years.

This week, I found out how much the iPod family has matured since 2010. I tested the new $299-and-up iPod Touch and the $149 iPod Nano. These are very different products, but they both carry Apple's simple touch interface. And both make good gifts because they won't saddle the recipient with monthly phone bills: The iPod Touch runs on Wi-Fi and the iPod Nano doesn't wirelessly connect to the Internet.

First things first: What's new? The iPod Touch screen now has the same screen as the iPhone 5: a four-inch Retina display with sharp, bright colors. The previous iPod Touch was thin, but at 0.24 inch thick and 3.1 ounces, this new one almost feels like a mock-up of an iPod Touch. Its notably improved camera now includes a flash, as well as image stabilization and face detection. And it runs iOS 6, the latest operating system from Apple, so it has features like panorama for photos, full Facebook integration, iMessage and Passbook.

Meanwhile, the iPod Nano, which is somewhat of an Apple wild child because of its ever-morphing shape and size, has sloughed off its predecessor's square shape for a return to the rectangle. A 2.5-inch screen and small Home button take up the face of this 1.1-ounce, seventh-generation iPod Nano. It resembles a teensy iPhone that a squirrel could use. A new play/pause button runs along the side between volume up and down. This remains the only iPod with FM radio, which works when connected to EarPods