Apple iPod shuffle (3rd Generation)
Features: Warranty: 12 Months
Battery run time: Up to 10 hours
Battery recharge time: 80% charged in 2 hrs; fully charged in 3 hrs
Wired terminals / ports: Headphone Jack
Pros: In-line controls are easier to access when jogging/walking, minimalist design, VoiceOver feature, supports multiple playlists, 4GB storage
Cons: Too small, can’t use standard third-party headphones, shuffle slider button too small, multiple click sequences are frustrating
The final word: If you are the type of person who will simply switch on your iPod and let it play, then the new iPod shuffle may appeal to you. As it stands, though, Apple’s latest music player is too small, uses a frustrating control system and doesn’st allow flexibility when it comes to third-party headphones.
APPLE’S latest iPod shuffle is smaller than an AA battery and features a new technology called VoiceOver, which lets it speak the names of tracks, artists and playlists.
Aesthetically, there isn’t much to say about the 4GB iPod shuffle. It’s absolutely tiny and the design is very minimalist, with only an etched Apple logo on the rear stainless steel clip distinguishing it as an Apple MP3 player. While we can appreciate the achievement of making a music player this small, it’s a little too small for our liking – the shuffle is ridiculously easy to misplace or lose.
To make the iPod shuffle this small Apple has moved the music playback controls from the unit itself onto the headphones. This means the only button on the iPod shuffle is a tiny switch that allows you to turn the unit off, put your music in shuffle mode, or play your songs in order.
The in-line controls on the included headphones mean that if you use a regular pair of headphones you will be able to hear music in the order you have uploaded it, but you won’t be able to control volume, pause or skip tracks, or manage playlists. A number of third-party headphones that support the iPod shuffle have recently been announced, including models from Klipsch, Etymotic Research and V-MODA.
The in-line remote has three buttons (volume up, volume down and a centre button). A double-click skips to the next track, a triple-click skips to the previous track and the centre button pauses the currently playing track. Double-click and hold or triple-click and hold to fast forward or rewind the currently playing track. Clicking and holding the centre button skips through playlists.
We would have appreciated more buttons - it’s easy enough to grasp, but the fact that you sometimes have to triple-click or hold down buttons detracts from the overall user experience.
