The third generation iPod shuffle was released on 11 March, 2009 and is said by Apple to be “jaw-droppingly small” with dimensions of 45.2x 17.5 x 7.8 mm (1.8 x 0.7 x 0.3 in). The new generation is a 4GB model at US$79, GB£59, CA$99, AU$119 or €75 (The second generation 1GB iPod shuffle is still available, however the 2GB version has been discontinued.)

It is available with a silver or black brushed aluminum case similar to the second generation iPod Shuffle. This makes it the first iPod Shuffle that is available in black. It features VoiceOver technology that allows song names, artist names, album names and playlist contents and names to be spoken in 14 different languages using the Text-to-Speech incorporated in iTunes 8. It also has gained support for multiple playlists, in contrast to previous versions of the iPod Shuffle, which allowed only a single playlist. The new model features a polished steel attachment clip, adopting for the first time the polished steel finishing previously found only on the larger iPods, rather than the brushed aluminum used in the second-generation iPod Shuffle. It requires iTunes version 8.1, which has yet to be released, and is said by Apple to be “Coming soon.”
The third generation iPod Shuffle no longer has volume or track controls on the device itself. Instead, the included Apple earphones now include a three-button device on the right earbud cord. This adds the functions of changing between playlists, hearing the song title and artist of the track playing, as well as play/pause, track changes and volume control. It is not possible to change songs or volume with current third-party headphones, since they lack these controls. However, since the iPod shuffle begins playing music automatically when it is turned on, third-party headphones may still be used in “autoplay” mode (with no volume or playback controls). Some future third-party headphones and headphone adapters will include full support for the iPod shuffle.
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Photo: © Apple
Text: “IPod Shuffle.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 11 Mar 2009, 19:18 UTC. 11 Mar 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=IPod_Shuffle&oldid=276572349>
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