Apple iPod shuffle 4GB

In general, an official announcement related to just about any of Apple's products is preceded by a wave of rumors and speculations, as well as, typically, at least a couple of spy shots. However, that's not at all what happened with the 4GB version of the iPod shuffle portable player from Apple, which was officially unveiled in March 2009 with very few rumors related to the subject hitting the Internet before this date.

The first thing that should be mentioned about the Apple iPod shuffle 4GB is the fact that it represents the 3'rd generation of this series, and the first to hit the the aforementioned storage capacity (which is enough to hold up to 1000 songs). Furthermore, it also marks a return to the overall design concept of the 1'st generation, featuring a slim, elongated body, manufactured from anodized aluminum available in 2 different colors: brushed silver and black. Of course, the clip has been maintained, but it's only available in silver, regardless of the particular version, and is made from stainless steel.

One of the reasons why the size and weight of the new iPod shuffle have been kept at a minimum (45.2 mm x 17.5 mm x 7.8 mm, 10.7 grams) is the fact that its controls are located on the right earbud cord. From here, one can access the player's various functions, including one of the highlights of this version, the VoiceOver feature.

Similar to the VoiceOver function from the OSX, this feature will voice out loud the name of the artists, song and specific playlist playing at a certain time, and even announces the user when the battery needs charging.

And since we've reached this specific issue, it's worth mentioning that the new iPod shuffle comes packed with a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery, which offers a functioning autonomy of around 10 hours when fully charged (after 3 hours, via the USB interface).

As we've already grown accustomed to, the quality of the audio provided by the shuffle is a very good one, with a frequency response from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Furthermore, the device supports the most common formats supported by all of the Apple players, including here AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF. There's no video, since, after all, the shuffle is the only iPod to not feature a display.

The new Apple iPod shuffle 4GB sells for around 80 US dollars, for which users will also get the Apple Earphones with Remote, the iPod shuffle USB cable (1.8 in/45 mm) and a Quick Start guide.