Apple unveils the new iPod shuffle

***AppleInsider*** · 09-12-2006, 02:50 PM

Apple today introduced the new iPod shuffle, now the world's smallest digital music player with the company's pioneering shuffle feature that lets music fans serve up a continuous mix of their favorite songs anywhere they go.

Nearly half the size of the original, the new iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce and features a stunning all-new aluminum design and a built-in clip which makes it the most wearable iPod ever. The new iPod shuffle contains one gigabyte of flash memory which holds up to 240 songs, and is more affordable than ever at just $79.

"It's hard to believe the new iPod is a real music player when you first see it," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "But it is real, and holds up to 240 songs in an incredibly compact and wearable design that weighs just half an ounce."

iPod shuffle is based on Apple's popular shuffle feature which lets users enjoy their songs in a random order. Or listeners can simply flip a switch to listen to their songs in order, such as when listening to a new album. iPod shuffle features up to 12 hours of battery life.*

Users connect the new iPod shuffle to their Mac or PC with the included dock, and iTunes' innovative AutoFill feature automatically syncs the perfect number of songs from their music library. Seamless integration with iTunes 7 and the iTunes Store allows customers to choose from a selection of over 3.5 million songs from the world's most popular digital music store.

Pricing & Availability

The new iPod shuffle is expected to be available worldwide in October through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for $79 (US). iPod shuffle includes earbud headphones and an iPod shuffle Dock.

iPod shuffle requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) and iTunes 7.0 or later. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended.

* Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; actual capacity varies by content.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

lhvide · 09-12-2006, 03:30 PM

so tiny!

tacojohn · 09-12-2006, 03:30 PM

I want one of these more than any of the iPods announced today (I already have a 5G iPod- *crosses finger for firmware update for new features*)- damn they're small...

rustedborg · 09-12-2006, 03:33 PM

What a let down. Only one color, no new features and nothing to get excited about other than size and price.

Apple should offer these things in every color of the rainbow and there should have been at least one new "wow" feature.

Caribou Killa · 09-12-2006, 03:35 PM

I would prefer that they dropped the Shuffle and went for a horizontal iPod Video.

psychboy · 09-12-2006, 03:38 PM

I think that this is a genius design. A built-in clip! I had actually never thought of that. It's not meant to be shown off with bright colors...it looks to me like the point is subtlety for this one. I'm actually tempted, and I never thought I'd say that about a screen-less iPod.

jamezog · 09-12-2006, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustedborg

What a let down. Only one color, no new features and nothing to get excited about other than size and price.

Apple should offer these things in every color of the rainbow and there should have been at least one new "wow" feature.

I dunno, that new design is pretty "wow" to me. The only thing I'm disappointed about it is that it's now harder to use it as a USB flash drive - I was going to buy a new shuffle as a replacement for my flash drive, but now I'm having second thoughts...

rain · 09-12-2006, 03:53 PM

HA... I told you guys that there would be a new Shuffle made of anodized aluminum, and games being introduced.
And yet all I got was grief from the greif givers here.

rok · 09-12-2006, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caribou Killa

I would prefer that they dropped the Shuffle and went for a horizontal iPod Video.

dude, they've sold TEN MILLION SHUFFLES SO FAR. would YOU drop the shuffle if you were still selling them hand over fist? methinks not.

jamezog · 09-12-2006, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rain

HA... I told you guys that there would be a new Shuffle made of anodized aluminum, and games being introduced.
And yet all I got was grief from the greif givers here.

I remember that thread... That's a much-earned "I told you so," rain!

bdj21ya · 09-12-2006, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamezog

I dunno, that new design is pretty "wow" to me. The only thing I'm disappointed about it is that it's now harder to use it as a USB flash drive - I was going to buy a new shuffle as a replacement for my flash drive, but now I'm having second thoughts...

Ditto. I love the fact that I always have a handy storage device hanging around my neck (under my overshirt of course, I'm not that much of a dweeb). The new design is very cool and Apple like, but it is sad to lose the USB connector. They ought to leave the old shuffle as an option.

I say, buy an old one now while they're still in stock.

addabox · 09-12-2006, 04:30 PM

Ditto on having to carry around an extra thing for USB connectivity. How much size would putting the USB plug back on the body add, anyway?

Sometimes I get really annoyed at Job's "make so small it will make people's eyes bug out, even if it means compromising functionality" fetish.

Having said that, I am immediately getting one. The ultimate gym pod.

ecking · 09-12-2006, 04:56 PM

Ahh wtf I don't want to loose the thumb drive capability!

Also when using it with a notebook I've got to have a cord!

The design was perfect, they should have added this at 1gig and kept the old ne as 512mb.

richieg261 · 09-12-2006, 05:00 PM

I just can't get out of my head the parallels this new shuffle has with the iPod "flea" parody. Looks like the person who created that spoof was onto something!

zedrac · 09-12-2006, 05:07 PM

Wow, it's the same size as the radio tuner/remote. Incredible. Someone saw my remote the other day, and said "there's no way an iPod could be that small", and I had to explain that it was a remote. Now, iPods really are that small. I am so impressed.

CosmoNut · 09-12-2006, 05:12 PM

i'm just confused as to how Apple fit a battery, 1GB memory, and processor chip all into that thing and still had room for a headphone jack. Wow.

JakeTheRock · 09-12-2006, 05:18 PM

OHH!! I saw the flea parody!!!

richieg261 · 09-12-2006, 05:21 PM

The only slight concern is that I feel that the new iPod shuffle is the best (as in "wow factor") iPod release coming out of Cupertino today. I was quite underwhelmed by everything else, which is a shame because Apple seems to have not really innovated with this event, rather than they have just renovated, which has made me feel quite sad in a way.

mrtotes · 09-12-2006, 05:39 PM

Does this this charge through the 3.5mm jack?
Does it charge by magnetic induction in the dock?
How does it sync to the Mac - through the 3.5mm jack?

I'm confused - but it looks nice.

When I first saw it I thought it was getting a dock connector on the base.

jackbauer · 09-12-2006, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtotes

Does this this charge through the 3.5mm jack?
Does it charge by magnetic induction in the dock?
How does it sync to the Mac - through the 3.5mm jack?

I'm confused - but it looks nice.

When I first saw it I thought it was getting a dock connector on the base.

it has a dock connector. Which actually is a drawback, since now you need the dock connector to connect/harge. The RevA shuffles don't.

mrtotes · 09-12-2006, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackbauer

it has a dock connector. Which actually is a drawback, since now you need the dock connector to connect/harge. The RevA shuffles don't.

Where? (There is space for one - it would have been great with Nike + too ;~\ )

jackbauer · 09-12-2006, 06:57 PM

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/sync.html

monkeyastronaut · 09-12-2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richieg261

The only slight concern is that I feel that the new iPod shuffle is the best (as in "wow factor") iPod release coming out of Cupertino today. I was quite underwhelmed by everything else, which is a shame because Apple seems to have not really innovated with this event, rather than they have just renovated, which has made me feel quite sad in a way.

true, true. in terms of hardware and firmware updates, the new nano and the new 5th gen are not groundbreaking enhancements. but i guess it just becomes harder and harder to add wow features every time. how much smaller can the nano get, really? i think it may play video in the future and we'll definitely see bluetooth support somewhere down the line. but i was a little dissapointed too. this is the same nano only cheaper and in colors.

i already own a white nano so it's not much of an upgrade for me.

i say good job, apple. but not enough to make me buy a new nano. i think... *tries hard not to buy a new blue nano*

monkeyastronaut · 09-12-2006, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtotes

Where? (There is space for one - it would have been great with Nike + too ;~\ )

headphone jack connects to an included dock. read the apple website, damnit. its all there.

mrtotes · 09-12-2006, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyastronaut

headphone jack connects to an included dock. read the apple website, damnit. its all there.

Last time I checked you couldn't get USB2 data in a 3.5mm jack.

monkeyastronaut · 09-12-2006, 07:10 PM

you sync, charge and connect through the headphone jack, which connects to a dock powered by a USB cable. since it charges it must be USB2 since USB can't charge your pod.

bobbagum · 09-12-2006, 08:20 PM

Looks like there are dock connector-shaped indentation on the shuffle that allows it to mate with the dock,

it looks like it could also allow for lanyad headphone. Unfortunately, it seems that the spacing between the dock connector (or receptacle in case of the new shuffle) and the headphone jack is all different from all the different iPods, old Nano, new Nano, and new Shuffle would all require different lanyard headphones.

And just looking at the accessories page for the G2 Nano, I can already see a revised lanyard earphone.

ecking · 09-12-2006, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtotes

Where? (There is space for one - it would have been great with Nike + too ;~\ )

Hey you're right. Wow, that's kinda wack. I wish they had kept the old shuffle at 512mb. Hell I may grab one before they're gone.

mrtotes · 09-12-2006, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyastronaut

you sync, charge and connect through the headphone jack, which connects to a dock powered by a USB cable. since it charges it must be USB2 since USB can't charge your pod.

Well nice to see Apple simplifying things as pushing USB2 in and out of a 3.5mm jack.

USB2 is the same power as USB1.1 so USB 1 will work but slowly.
USB
So how long before there are 3.5mm to USB mini adaptors on eBay?

ecking · 09-12-2006, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtotes

Well nice to see Apple simplifying things as pushing USB2 in and out of a 3.5mm jack.

USB2 is the same power as USB1.1 so USB 1 will work but slowly.
USB
So how long before there are 3.5mm to USB mini adaptors on eBay?

Apple should make one. One as wide as the unit but not too long and when combined can be plugged right against a computer, that'd be sick for using with a notebook, it's look like a wide usb key.

Darth_Apple · 09-12-2006, 09:41 PM

This new Shuffle will be my first iPod, it's so freaking amazing, I'm truly in love with it, if the old one sold 10 million this one will sell twice or three times as much!!

btw CosmoNut hit the nail on the head... WOW

sandau · 09-12-2006, 11:39 PM

it kicks butt, the size and clip do it for me along with the price. win win win. need a stupid 1gb flash go buy one, this one will sit on the back of my hat when i go hiking, jogging, whatever. perfect.

Mr. Jeff · 09-13-2006, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecking

Ahh wtf I don't want to loose the thumb drive capability!

Also when using it with a notebook I've got to have a cord!

The design was perfect, they should have added this at 1gig and kept the old ne as 512mb.

Old 1GB Shuffle: $99.99

New 1GB Shuffle: $79.99
+1GB Thumb Flash Drive: $25.00
$105.00

Now take into consideration the space taken up by the system files and music, and you are left with less than 1 GB. You now can technically have 2 GB for the Price of one, due to the fact you have one with music, and one just for a flash drive. I think it's worth it.

toosday · 09-13-2006, 08:40 AM

Here's a conversation I bet has never occured:

"You know that current iPod Shuffle is just too darn BIG! I mean, something the size of a pack of gum? How can I deal with that? MUST BE SMALLER!"

Obviously, I am not a fan of the Shuffles...

Strawberry · 09-13-2006, 09:15 AM

Now I can cram it into my cycle helmet

ajprice · 09-13-2006, 09:38 AM

I see a market opening up for a 3rd party USB plug adapter.

CosmoNut · 09-13-2006, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajprice

I see a market opening up for a 3rd party USB plug adapter.

Give it until the new shuffle is released. Belkin or someone like them will have one available.

shanmugam · 09-13-2006, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Jeff

Old 1GB Shuffle: $99.99

New 1GB Shuffle: $79.99
+1GB Thumb Flash Drive: $25.00
$105.00

Now take into consideration the space taken up by the system files and music, and you are left with less than 1 GB. You now can technically have 2 GB for the Price of one, due to the fact you have one with music, and one just for a flash drive. I think it's worth it.

i do not like that shuffle lost its thumb drive capability ...

well, it will sell very well ... carry two devices hmmm

Chagi · 09-13-2006, 11:24 AM

Nice design, and timely, given that my previous 512MB Shuffle just died (flashing lights of doom...).

I'm somewhat reluctant to buy another iPod at this point though...

minderbinder · 09-13-2006, 11:36 AM

Does the new one have gapless playback?

Is there a software update so the previous one can have it? Seems like it might be possible with a firmware update.

09-12-2006, 02:50 PM	#1
*AppleInsider* Kasper's Automated Slave Join Date: Nov 1997 Posts: 6,161	Apple unveils the new iPod shuffle Apple today introduced the new iPod shuffle, now the world's smallest digital music player with the company's pioneering shuffle feature that lets music fans serve up a continuous mix of their favorite songs anywhere they go. Nearly half the size of the original, the new iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce and features a stunning all-new aluminum design and a built-in clip which makes it the most wearable iPod ever. The new iPod shuffle contains one gigabyte of flash memory which holds up to 240 songs, and is more affordable than ever at just $79. "It's hard to believe the new iPod is a real music player when you first see it," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "But it is real, and holds up to 240 songs in an incredibly compact and wearable design that weighs just half an ounce." iPod shuffle is based on Apple's popular shuffle feature which lets users enjoy their songs in a random order. Or listeners can simply flip a switch to listen to their songs in order, such as when listening to a new album. iPod shuffle features up to 12 hours of battery life.* Users connect the new iPod shuffle to their Mac or PC with the included dock, and iTunes' innovative AutoFill feature automatically syncs the perfect number of songs from their music library. Seamless integration with iTunes 7 and the iTunes Store allows customers to choose from a selection of over 3.5 million songs from the world's most popular digital music store. Pricing & Availability The new iPod shuffle is expected to be available worldwide in October through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for $79 (US). iPod shuffle includes earbud headphones and an iPod shuffle Dock. iPod shuffle requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) and iTunes 7.0 or later. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended. * Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; actual capacity varies by content. [ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

09-12-2006, 03:30 PM	#3
tacojohn Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 961	I want one of these more than any of the iPods announced today (I already have a 5G iPod- crosses finger for firmware update for new features)- damn they're small... My Wearable LED Cloathing Company– http://www.EroGear.com

09-12-2006, 03:33 PM	#4
rustedborg Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 145	What a let down. Only one color, no new features and nothing to get excited about other than size and price. Apple should offer these things in every color of the rainbow and there should have been at least one new "wow" feature. The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.

09-12-2006, 03:35 PM	#5
Caribou Killa Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Havalina Posts: 134	I would prefer that they dropped the Shuffle and went for a horizontal iPod Video. iBook 1.33 Ghz, 512 MB, 40GB Don't Steal iPods. Steal Music.

09-12-2006, 04:30 PM	#12
addabox Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: 0aktown Posts: 9,242	Ditto on having to carry around an extra thing for USB connectivity. How much size would putting the USB plug back on the body add, anyway? Sometimes I get really annoyed at Job's "make so small it will make people's eyes bug out, even if it means compromising functionality" fetish. Having said that, I am immediately getting one. The ultimate gym pod. party's over

09-12-2006, 03:30 PM	#2
lhvide Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Miami Posts: 64	so tiny!

09-12-2006, 03:38 PM	#6
psychboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Vernon Hills, IL Posts: 46	I think that this is a genius design. A built-in clip! I had actually never thought of that. It's not meant to be shown off with bright colors...it looks to me like the point is subtlety for this one. I'm actually tempted, and I never thought I'd say that about a screen-less iPod.

09-12-2006, 03:53 PM	#8
rain Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Vancouver Posts: 209	HA... I told you guys that there would be a new Shuffle made of anodized aluminum, and games being introduced. And yet all I got was grief from the greif givers here.

09-12-2006, 05:00 PM	#14
richieg261 Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 22	I just can't get out of my head the parallels this new shuffle has with the iPod "flea" parody. Looks like the person who created that spoof was onto something!

09-12-2006, 05:07 PM	#15
zedrac Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 42	Wow, it's the same size as the radio tuner/remote. Incredible. Someone saw my remote the other day, and said "there's no way an iPod could be that small", and I had to explain that it was a remote. Now, iPods really are that small. I am so impressed.

09-12-2006, 05:12 PM	#16
CosmoNut Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Non-Cupertino-based Posts: 4,831	i'm just confused as to how Apple fit a battery, 1GB memory, and processor chip all into that thing and still had room for a headphone jack. Wow. AppleInsider's "journalists" are anything but.

09-12-2006, 05:18 PM	#17
JakeTheRock Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: IMSA Posts: 265	OHH!! I saw the flea parody!!! Mac Mini (early 2006), G3 B&W, G3 Beige Tower, 3 G3 iMacs (original, bondi, snow), Power Mac 7600/132, Power Mac 7100/100, Power Mac 6100/60, Performa 5280, Performa 6118 CD, Performa 636 CD, Performa 410, Macintosh ][ ci, and even more...

09-12-2006, 05:21 PM	#18
richieg261 Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 22	The only slight concern is that I feel that the new iPod shuffle is the best (as in "wow factor") iPod release coming out of Cupertino today. I was quite underwhelmed by everything else, which is a shame because Apple seems to have not really innovated with this event, rather than they have just renovated, which has made me feel quite sad in a way.

09-12-2006, 05:39 PM	#19
mrtotes Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Gloucestershire, England Posts: 614	Power Does this this charge through the 3.5mm jack? Does it charge by magnetic induction in the dock? How does it sync to the Mac - through the 3.5mm jack? I'm confused - but it looks nice. When I first saw it I thought it was getting a dock connector on the base.

09-12-2006, 06:57 PM	#22
jackbauer Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 43	http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/sync.html

09-12-2006, 07:10 PM	#26
monkeyastronaut Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: united mexican states Posts: 1,326	you sync, charge and connect through the headphone jack, which connects to a dock powered by a USB cable. since it charges it must be USB2 since USB can't charge your pod.

09-12-2006, 08:20 PM	#27
bobbagum Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 61	Lanyard Headphone Looks like there are dock connector-shaped indentation on the shuffle that allows it to mate with the dock, it looks like it could also allow for lanyad headphone. Unfortunately, it seems that the spacing between the dock connector (or receptacle in case of the new shuffle) and the headphone jack is all different from all the different iPods, old Nano, new Nano, and new Shuffle would all require different lanyard headphones. And just looking at the accessories page for the G2 Nano, I can already see a revised lanyard earphone.

09-12-2006, 09:41 PM	#31
Darth_Apple Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: A little tropical island I call... HELL! Posts: 199	This new Shuffle will be my first iPod, it's so freaking amazing, I'm truly in love with it, if the old one sold 10 million this one will sell twice or three times as much!! btw CosmoNut hit the nail on the head... WOW MacBook 1.83GHz, 1GB of Ram --> A more elegant notebook, for a more civilized age *An apple a day, keeps Microsoft away*

09-12-2006, 11:39 PM	#32
sandau Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,010	it kicks butt, the size and clip do it for me along with the price. win win win. need a stupid 1gb flash go buy one, this one will sit on the back of my hat when i go hiking, jogging, whatever. perfect.

09-13-2006, 08:40 AM	#34
toosday Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 24	Here's a conversation I bet has never occured: "You know that current iPod Shuffle is just too darn BIG! I mean, something the size of a pack of gum? How can I deal with that? MUST BE SMALLER!" Obviously, I am not a fan of the Shuffles...

09-13-2006, 09:15 AM	#35
Strawberry Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 141	Now I can cram it into my cycle helmet

09-13-2006, 09:38 AM	#36
ajprice Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: UK Posts: 274	I see a market opening up for a 3rd party USB plug adapter.

09-13-2006, 11:24 AM	#39
Chagi Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 274	Nice design, and timely, given that my previous 512MB Shuffle just died (flashing lights of doom...). I'm somewhat reluctant to buy another iPod at this point though...

09-13-2006, 11:36 AM	#40
minderbinder Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,395	Does the new one have gapless playback? Is there a software update so the previous one can have it? Seems like it might be possible with a firmware update.

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