iPod shuffle now "world's smallest MP3 player"

Damn, looks like even the humble iPod shuffle is getting a bump today. After having sold 10 million of the first-gen shuffles, the new model is now reportedly the size of the iPod radio remote, comes in just a 1GB capacity, and sports a shiny new aluminum body with a clip for easy wearability. Steve's calling it the "world's smallest MP3 player" and hey, who are we to argue? It's available for preorder today and expected to ship with its itty bitty dock and ear buds sometime in October, for the bargain basement price of only $79.

[Vector Calculus @ Sep 12th 2006 2:41PM]

I don't understand how this syncs/charges? Is there a usb port like the earlier generation or a dock? The pictures on the apple site don't show anything.

[Carfield @ Oct 29th 2006 8:33PM]

Yes, there is a dock to conncet the unit to computer for sync music and charging.

[marty @ Jan 14th 2007 3:31AM]

Yep, the stereo jack doubles as a USB port. Pretty clever -- but what can take the new iPod shuffle to a even a higher level of coolness? Ah yes, a completely waterproof -- yes, I said WATERPROOF 2nd gen iPod Shuffle. While other versions of the iPod have waterproof cases, I haven't heard of a waterproof case for the 2nd generation iPod Shuffle. However, the great news is that there is a WATERPROOF 2nd generation iPod Shuffle sold on the web by SWIMMAN at http://www.swimman.com. It's sold along with their excellent waterproof headset that has been rated on the web as being the best waterproof headset on the market. I have used it and now won't go in the water or do laps without it. The iPod shuffle is now light years ahead of everything else out there. It has become a true "go anywhere, do anything" digital audio player.

[sideshow_raheem @ Sep 12th 2006 2:41PM]

i don't know about a mp3 player you can actual swallow by accident.

[sta @ Sep 12th 2006 2:42PM]

i wonder if i can play bejeled on it

[j@e @ Sep 12th 2006 2:42PM]

looks great, but I think they took out one inportant key feature the integrated usb (that's the important part of portability)

[tc @ Sep 12th 2006 2:43PM]

@vector

it has a very small dock for charging

[Galley @ Sep 12th 2006 2:44PM]

That is on heck of a price, for an attractive, yet SIMPLE player.

[jen @ Sep 12th 2006 2:45PM]

i am fascinated by this thing and can't stop looking at it.
if only i had $79 to burn - this would be much better than clipping my 3G iPod to my shorts while working out. ;)

[Jeff @ Sep 12th 2006 2:47PM]

Great...will the battery die in less than a year, like the previous version of the Shuffle?

[Ben @ Sep 12th 2006 2:49PM]

"I don't understand how this syncs/charges?"

it uses the headphone jack for charging and syncing.

[Saluki @ Sep 12th 2006 2:53PM]

Jeff

Who cares if the battery dies? Hell, for $79 you can toss it out and take a new one out of the pack

[akp @ Sep 12th 2006 2:56PM]

the Mobiblu is still the world's smallest mp3 player.

http://www.mobibluamerica.com/dah1500.html

[Vertigo @ Sep 12th 2006 2:57PM]

I wish the clip part was removable

[Deezee @ Sep 12th 2006 2:57PM]

This thing has no screen therefore its worthless to me.

[Evan @ Sep 12th 2006 2:58PM]

I was about to say, that looks like a stale cracker someone spraypainted. MobiBLU still has the most attractive, smallest MP3 player.

[fogd00d @ Sep 12th 2006 3:00PM]

More importantly, did they keep the same amplifier circuitry as the previous model?

Its been well documented (http://www.machrone.net/mt/archives/2010/05/bass_performanc.html#more and http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1777890,00.asp) that the Shuffle has a superior amplifier, particularly noticeable in its bass reproduction. In fact, its the only reason I suffer a mere 1GB and no display.

My earphones are about twice the cost of the Shuffle, so its not about cheaping out.

[Nacho @ Sep 12th 2006 3:00PM]

Wow. This would work great as a money clip as well.

[b.s. @ Sep 12th 2006 3:00PM]

no USB connection?
disapointing.

[Marc @ Sep 12th 2006 3:02PM]

Mobiblu is larger. Volume-wise and weight-wise. Outside of that, it's smaller than the shuffle

[a11en @ Sep 12th 2006 3:04PM]

the Mobiblu is 0.830584 cubic inches, and the Shuffle is 0.710694.

[Matt @ Sep 12th 2006 3:14PM]

Is that inlcuding the size of the large clip on the back? ;)

[tekdroid @ Sep 12th 2006 3:14PM]

My ideal device:

*FLAC support
*Ogg Vorbis support
*native drag-n-drop
*removable battery
*removable flash cards would be a very big plus - why even be limited to 1GB if you don't want? Why be limited to one device?

Of course this'll never happen, since:
1) embedded batteries (that die after 500 charges) and cannot easil be switched have somehow taken over
2) embedded flash that cannot be upgraded, replaced or used in other devices is 'cool'
3) bloated, impractical software dependence to transfer music is 'in'

I can dream, though.

All in all, good design for what it is (no doubt it will be emulated by many now). Though not practical enough for me. Clip was a nice touch.

[javaflash @ Sep 12th 2006 3:20PM]

I'm wondering how easy it is to snap on an USB connector as an accessory (the combo will probably still be smaller than the original Shuffle).

[B-Sabre @ Sep 12th 2006 3:23PM]

@Vector,

From the pictures it looks like they have to dock through the headphone jack. That's the only hole in the thing.

So, besides being audio, the headphone socket can now do power and data. That's a sweet piece of engineering.

[Roess3333 @ Sep 12th 2006 3:24PM]

steve lied to the world!

THAT B@ST@RRSDFASTRLAUFFSDDDDDD
I HATE THE TRASH HE SELLS

why cant apple just make replaceable batteries for once? greedy b@AST@#R$ARDDDASFDSDDS

[Miles @ Sep 12th 2006 3:32PM]

yeah i love to lose my new electronics.

[macona @ Sep 12th 2006 3:35PM]

akp: the new shuffle volumetrically speaking is smaller than the mobiBLU. The shuffle is .67 in^3 and the mobiBLU comes in at .83 in^3.

The shuffle must be inductively charge as well as data transferred. Not such a bad idea really, with where this is going a exposed dock or even mini-usb connector would get full of crud in an instant, not to mention take up valuable real estate inside the player.

[T_biz @ Sep 12th 2006 3:38PM]

i can't believe you guys think $79 is a fair price for a 1GB player. And this is soooo not the smallest mp3 player ever. I just got back from Japan and I think I might have a couple of them under my fingernails.
Anyway, it looks cool, but 1 GB won't even fit enough for a daytrip. On the upside though, it "looks" pretty scratch resistant, pretty attractive, and might fit on a keychain.

[iEnigma @ Sep 12th 2006 4:11PM]

Hmm, it sure looks nice, but for $7 more, I can get a Creative Zen V 1GB that has a color screen with photo capability, voice and line-in recording, photo playback, and compatibility with subscription WMA tracks. Plus, Creative devices tend to have better sound quality than Apple's. The Shuffle 2.0 is only good if you absolutely NEED the smallest possible player. Is that worth everything that you lose?

[mike @ Sep 12th 2006 4:54PM]

That thing is hot. I think that I could scale sown my collection enough to get everything I want on there. I guess now I have something for my Christmas list this year.

[Bostongraf @ Sep 12th 2006 5:02PM]

Can't be sync'd to the car stereo...useless to me.

But it does mean the ebay prices on the old ones are going to go WAY down!! Whoo-Hoo!

[Richard Choi @ Sep 12th 2006 5:12PM]

Wow, the size of the thing is so tempting, just for use in the gym. However, I think that cell phones have already advanced enough to replace the 1 GB DAP market.

[Nighto @ Sep 12th 2006 5:34PM]

@tekdroid
Except from the part of flac/ogg support (i also dream about it :)) there is a mp3 player from Foston that is basically what you're thinking: Mp4 Foston FS 88 1GB - SD (http://www.snetcommerce1.com.br/ecommerce_site/index.php?pg=t1_ex_prod&codprd=43685&cd=ihibfa10DXijk&cat=gfmfcZ5;CVhhi&cdgc=njnfgf6;[Re&sid=nv02nv2o8pk8l9sla855r26el0-1158096601)
it's very nice and popular here in the so called "3rd world". it costs aprox. USD 140.

[Sean Shrum @ Sep 12th 2006 5:53PM]

As a Gen-1 iPod Shuffle owner myself, I'd get one of these (http://www.sunconnection.jp/product/scmp001w/index.html) before I got another embedded memory, LCD-less mp3 player. Granted, one of the main reasons I love my Shuffle is so I can use it as a memory stick (USB connector on it) so this new version doesn't do anything for me. Since I have a PPC-6700, I use MiniSD cards like crazy for audio and video playback on my phone ('House, M.D.' Season 2, anyone?) :-p

[Rob @ Sep 12th 2006 6:27PM]

*yawn* it all a remake of the same old same old. Nanos with colours? Been there. Bigger storage space: expected. Games? Trivial. and the ipod shuffle is just the same thing that looks different and different is better. Until Steve ALLOWS us to have the video ipod obviously everyone wants, he's just playing with our wallets. I still haven't bought an iPod because I don't buy what isn't 1) what I want and 2) isn't what it could be. Touchscreens and bluetooth and four inch screens and lets-get-rid-of-all-the-gizmos-and-put-it-all-into-one-device-kind-of-thinking is thinking different and is techonologically possible. Sadly Steve is only catering to one consumer type, those under 25. Sure I want all the media stuff he is currently giving, but as a 30 year old, I also want and need some other stuff too, and small screens and no quickly Apple-smart integration with other aspects of my life just makes the iPod another thing to make me carry around. Sorry Steve, you're just reinventing what you've already done. That sounds to me like: Thinking Same.

[Dadidito @ Sep 12th 2006 7:10PM]

Just ordered mine. Its disposable at 79... so if i hate it.. chuck it.. but looks sexy. Have to give it that.

[psxp @ Sep 12th 2006 8:03PM]

The only fault is that it still doesnt have a "HOLD" switch. The old shuffle controls would get accidentally pressed when in my jacket pocket when I was snowboarding, so I got a nano as that had a hold switch..
oh well.

B

[ben @ Jan 10th 2007 8:54PM]

it does, you hold down the play button for 3 seconds

[cobalt @ Sep 12th 2006 8:47PM]

The old Shuffle had superior hardware that bumped the sound quality significantly above the other, larger iPod lines. At least that was true when it was released, I don't know where things stand now.

I don't think personally that a 1GB music player needs a screen, especially if it's primarily for working out. If you listen to a lot of whole albums maybe, but for a 1GB or even 2GB mix, a hierarchical interface is not what I would choose for picking out a song. It would be almost as fast to keep skipping songs until it reached the one you wanted.

Also, it's obviously a lot safer to use when you're driving. There's no temptation at all to sit there and surf through some menus.

Finally, this is obviously something you could mount on headphones, for that 70s vibe.

[Jesse @ Sep 12th 2006 9:16PM]

I have a Samsung player that does everything this thing does and more. It's tiny, has a clip, has a screen, does FM radio, voice recording, charges and transfers through the headphone jack, plays mp3, ogg, and some other formats I'll never use. It's rounder too.

[Dario @ Sep 12th 2006 9:54PM]

woah thats nice... its something i wouldnt mind spendin $80

[fogd00d @ Sep 12th 2006 11:32PM]

@ Sean Shrum: I too have a PPC-6700, with a 2GB MiniSD card, bought in the hopes of consuming audio on this wicked little PPC phone.

Unfortunately, the 1G Shuffle has spoiled me with its amplifier.

Try it out with better headphones, back to back, with the phone ... the phone has a passable amp. Sound reproduction is recognizable but far from life-like. Its my only let-down with the PPC-6700, by the way. I'm not a hater. It rocks everywhere else.

The only other portable device I've used with a meaty amp has been two different ThinkPads. I'm the kind of portable audio nutter that has used an in-line amp, self-powered, between player and earphones.

The Shuffle is the first device that has freed me from that extra wad in my pocket (but I was happy to see you, honest.)

If only these gadget blogs actually had audiophiles at the helm, these reviews wouldn't be so superficially preoccupied with silly BS like size, colour, bundled software, etc.

Its about AUDIO, kids. What part of that is so hard to understand?

With a 1G Shuffle, and a pair of mid-level Shure earphones, I have the best audio experience next to my office-bound Klipsch, but on the go and nary detectable to observers.

Screw you all and your conspicuous consumption: expensive metallic mp3 player and absolutely disposable garbage earbuds -- but oh MY can people tell by looking that you've got an iPod.

Quality suffers when you bozos forget what its all about: audio.

Even if many of you can't hear too well, maybe you can read: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1777890,00.asp

(As always, a warning to fanboys: facts, figures and graphs may be threatning.)

[fogd00d @ Sep 12th 2006 11:53PM]

@ me -- forgot to add: the only thing I really want out of my Shuffle is more storage.

1GB really gets tight when you're into lossless or 256kbps minimum encoding.

So for the new device to still only sport 1GB max memory, and potentially have a crappy capacitance amplifier like the rest of the line, I can't get too excited.

Sadly, newer products in the line could inherit the same wicked mini amp in the 1G Shuffle, but none of you features-dorks or self-style tech bloggers will notice.

Fortunately, an old crank like Bill Machrone (who actually appreciates the quality of his music gear and has the gear to measure it objectively) took the time ONCE to measure a few popular players on the market.

These tech blogs have about as much acumen for measuring sound quality as my dog. Actually, probably a lot less. They're just gifted with thumbs. Oooo -- SCORE!

[keith waddington @ Sep 13th 2006 1:09AM]

I've got a sony mp3 player that also plays ogg, vog, smog and grog.

it records voice and animal noises at the zoo.

it has built in am, fm and pm.

it looks smaller than this but is actually BIGGER so I wont lose it or swallow it.

it connects to my peecee via USB1 so it will work on even old peecees.

it doesn't use iTunes cos iTunes sux big times.

I can drag and drop cos thats much easier than that auto iTunes sync crap and I never could get what sync is supposed to do.

it has a 1cm screen and can play back Microsoft's WMV OPEN standard.

it has 3.7% better sound quality tested and analysed by a famous HiFi magazine using a spectroscope, a stethoscope and a periscope.

Oh yeah an its NOT Apple cos Apple sux an they just want yor money.

A happy sony user
http://www.waddo.net/

[keith waddington @ Sep 13th 2006 1:22AM]

I've got a sony mp3 player that also plays ogg, vog, smog and grog.

it records voice and animal noises at the zoo.

it has built in am, fm and pm.

it looks smaller than this but is actually BIGGER so I wont lose it or swallow it.

it connects to my peecee via USB1 so it will work on even old peecees.

it doesn't use iTunes cos iTunes sux big times.

I can drag and drop cos thats much easier than that auto iTunes sync crap and I never could get what sync is supposed to do.

it has a 1cm screen and can play back Microsoft's WMV OPEN standard.

it has 3.7% better sound quality tested and analysed by a famous HiFi magazine using a spectroscope, a stethoscope and a periscope.

Oh yeah an its NOT Apple cos Apple sux an they just want yor money.

A happy sony user
http://www.waddo.net/

[_asais @ Sep 13th 2006 2:03AM]

Really great mp3 player, I think it will become more popular now.

[prabhuly @ Sep 13th 2006 2:09AM]

that one SNL skit is coming true

iPod invsi here we come!!

[fogd00d @ Sep 13th 2006 2:27AM]

@ me: ... and I'm not an Apple fanboy.

First thing I did was to install the Shuffle hack ... sweet little Python script to rebuild the internal database from whatever .mp3 files it finds on the device.

No more iTunes. A wicked little amp in a device that otherwise acts like a 1GB USB drive.

I only miss a display the few times I am not enjoying the MUSIC while I do something else.

If I need to masturbate to a GUI, I'll fire up Vista or OSX.

I don't know about you, but I need to engage my EYES just about never when it comes to what I am listening to.

Do any of you know your cornhole from your elbows?

[togo @ Sep 13th 2006 2:47AM]

Kinda humorous no improvements other than design. Still a good little player, its disposible at the price and now it will be more durable. Great for kids who just arent ready for a screen and batteries.

Now i wonder if i can break my old half gig and get a new one.