Apple adds buttons to new third-generation iPod shuffle

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Apple's new fourth-generation iPod shuffle is a marriage of the last two generations, bringing back physical buttons to the company's smallest media player.



The new iPod shuffle will sell for just $49 and comes in five different colors. Like the previous generations, it has a clip so it can be worn.



It looks like the second-generation device, but retains the voiceover capabilities of the third-generation.



"People clearly missed the buttons," Jobs said.



The new wearable iPod shuffle has an all-aluminum enclosure with a built-in clip and comes in five colors: silver, blue, green, orange and pink. With nearly 50 percent more battery life, the new iPod shuffle features over 15 hours of music playback on a single battery charge and offers 2GB of storage for just $49.



"We?re making the iPod shuffle even better by combining clickable buttons and VoiceOver technology, so users can find and enjoy their music without ever looking at their iPod shuffle," Jobs said in a press release. "With its all-aluminum enclosure and built-in clip the new iPod shuffle is a great workout companion, and at just $49 it's a great entry-level iPod that almost everyone can afford."







The new VoiceOver button on top of iPod shuffle allows users to hear the name of the currently playing song and to switch between songs, playlists or Genius Mixes. VoiceOver speaks 25 different languages and even alerts users when their battery needs charging.







The new iPod shuffle now supports Genius Mixes, the iTunes feature that automatically creates mixes from songs in a user?s music library that go great together. Genius Mixes allow users to to rediscover music they already have, but may not have listened to recently.







Features:

Beautiful and Wearable: It?s small, it?s colorful, and it lets you take hundreds of songs with you everywhere.



Buttons: The big, clickable control pad gives you an easy way to play your music.



It Talks to You: Press the new VoiceOver button to hear the song title, playlist name, or battery status.



Multiple Playlists: Sync different playlists and Genius Mixes and have the perfect music for every mood.



Technical Specifications



Size and weight:

Height: 1.14 inches (29.0 mm)

Width: 1.24 inch (31.6 mm)

Depth: 0.34 inch (8.7 mm) including clip

True volume: 0.35 cu. inch (5668 cu. mm) including clip

Weight: 0.44 ounce (12.5 grams)

External controls:

3-way switch (Shuffle, Play in Order, Off )

VoiceOver button

Control pad

Input and output: 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack for audio and for USB charging



Environmental requirements:

Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)

Non-operating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)

Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing

Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

Capacity:

2GB flash drive

Stores data via USB flash drive

Battery and power:

Up to 15 hours of audio playback

80% charged in 2 hours; fully charged in about 3 hours

Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter (sold separately)

Headphones:

Earphones

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

Impedance: 32 ohms

Audio:

Skip-free playback

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

Environmental Status Report:

iPod shuffle embodies Apple?s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

Brominated flame retardant-free

PVC-free

Highly recyclable aluminum enclosure

Smaller, more compact packaging (60% smaller, 53% lighter)
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    It was funny how there was a clear (though subtle) admission of failure when speaking of previous generation iPods such as the 3rd gen iPod Nano and 3rd gen iPod Shuffle.



    He didn't even acknowledge the 3rd gen iPod Nano... LOL!



    Now the new iPod Touch and the Death of the Click Wheel - There's Something To Talk About.
  • Reply 2 of 31
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple's new third-generation iPod shuffle is a marriage of the last two generations, bringing back physical buttons to the company's smallest media player.



    That would be "Apple's new fourth-generation iPod shuffle". The third gen shuffle had no buttons and was smaller than the 2nd gen shuffle.
  • Reply 3 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chris_CA View Post


    That would be 'Apple's new fourth-generation iPod shuffle". The third gen shuffle had no buttons and was smaller than the 2nd gen shuffle.



    I think everyone is just pretending the buttonless model never existed. It's best that way.
  • Reply 4 of 31
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FuturePastNow View Post


    I think everyone is just pretending the buttonless model never existed. It's best that way.



  • Reply 5 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FuturePastNow View Post


    I think everyone is just pretending the buttonless model never existed. It's best that way.



    Well it was mainly developed and released while Steve was getting a new liver, I think. So, not surprised. Steve came back, and was like, you wha...??
  • Reply 6 of 31
    As far as I'm concerned, the buttonless shuffle was a test to separate the apple fans from the fanboys.



    I don't know how they managed to ship a player with no buttons, but I couldn't believe that some people actually defended it, insisting that it was somehow an improvement. Well, here you go, even Jobs himself is finally admitting they dropped the ball on that one.



    And I have a fatty nano and love it, despite all the whining about looks, it seems like it sold just fine. The new nano definitely has some cool factor, but the tiny screen size seems like a downgrade for anyone who looks at photos or video (and yeah, I do watch video on mine), especially for the price. Does it do video output?
  • Reply 7 of 31
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    It's great that they brought back the click wheel. I think this is the best design for a shuffle they've had. They even borrowed it for the nano now.
  • Reply 8 of 31
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sheff View Post


    It's great that they brought back the click wheel. I think this is the best design for a shuffle they've had. They even borrowed it for the nano now.



    It's not a 'click wheel', it's merely a static representation of one that doesn't rotate, and the new Nano is 100% touch for navigation.



    Note: the same as the 2nd gen iPod Shuffle.
  • Reply 9 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    It's not a 'click wheel', it's merely a static representation of one that doesn't rotate, and the new Nano is 100% touch for navigation.



    Note: the same as the 2nd gen iPod Shuffle.



    And the first for that matter, other than the buttonless version, the shuffle has always had the same controls.
  • Reply 10 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sheff View Post


    It's great that they brought back the click wheel. I think this is the best design for a shuffle they've had. They even borrowed it for the nano now.



    Completely agree. Only thing I'd like to see added in the future is FM radio. As for now, I'm sold!
  • Reply 11 of 31
    I'm sold. But, I want In-ear headphones default :|
  • Reply 12 of 31
    801801 Posts: 271member
    Except for resetting the assembly line back to the second generation, the cost of this was minimal. old tooling, tested suppliers, design done and tested. It is brilliant. And the second gen was a great product.



    A very suave move.
  • Reply 13 of 31
    i bought a shuffle 3g a few months ago and after getting used to the remote control, it was a very, very cool product that i liked much more than the 2nd gen ipod.



    as the same earbud-remotecontrol also controls the iphone or the ipod touch, the shuffle gave you the illusion to have such a device in your pocket. you could also swap the device but the remote control stayed the same. i like this concept - it does make sense.



    people said that the 3g shuffle didn't have buttons. it's simply not true. the remote control is a very clever way to operate the shuffle. it may sound difficult to only use one button, but it was very easy to get used to:



    click click = next song

    click click click = previous song



    click hold = fast forward

    click click hold = reverse play



    hold = say title

    hold and wait even longer: select playlist (up / down = volume up / down).



    this code works with nearly every device from apple and you can operate it very easily!



    the new shuffle is a step back, because you need to grab the device itself again to control it. also gone is the remote control on the earbuds, another step back.
  • Reply 14 of 31
    wont the apple fm headphones work with this puppy?
  • Reply 15 of 31
    Thank goodness the click button controls are BACK! on the Shuffle.



    I was starting to think I should have bought several of the 2nd gen Shuffles when they were still available. I tried the third gen controls at several stores and conferences, never felt right to me - a step back in customer usability IMO.



    So, very happy the matchbook size and shape is back with control buttons.
  • Reply 16 of 31
    The control built into the headphone idea was a big loser. Glad to see this design back. Though as someone else said, if they put FM on this thing, I'll junk my old one that same day for the upgrade. That would be great.
  • Reply 17 of 31
    pinepine Posts: 22member
    If they could add nike+ to this device just for tracking purposes, I don't think it could get any better. It just makes sense since it is the perfect pmp for the gym. After owning about every level of iPod there is, my second gen shuffle is by far my favorite. I even ran it through the wash with my clothes and it still works. But I did order the new one just because I couldn't resist. I just hope it's as durable as my current one.
  • Reply 18 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Pine View Post


    If they could add nike+ to this device just for tracking purposes, I don't think it could get any better. It just makes sense since it is the perfect pmp for the gym. After owning about every level of iPod there is, my second gen shuffle is by far my favorite. I even ran it through the wash with my clothes and it still works. But I did order the new one just because I couldn't resist. I just hope it's as durable as my current one.



    Nike+ is basically a wireless signal that is sent to the iPod, which acts like a pedometer, there's no actual tracking function. AFAIK, the pedometer (Nike+) function still works on the nano and touch.
  • Reply 19 of 31
    To the guy who wants default in-ear headphones:



    Then buy them! The darn thing is $49 silly!
  • Reply 20 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xSamplex View Post


    The control built into the headphone idea was a big loser. Glad to see this design back.



    I don't quite think so. the volume and clicking to pause/start/advance songs is great. Use it all the time with my iPhone. Great for the shuffle too. You don't have to remember where you clipped the little thing hehe.
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