Apple drops price of 1Gb iPod Shuffle, unveils 2GB model

Apple Inc. on Tuesday introduced a new 2GB model of its of its iPod shuffle and dropped the price of the 1 GB model to $49, making the world’s most wearable digital music player more adorable.

The newly introduced 2GB model of iPod shuffle with double the storage will cost $69, and will be available later this month. The new $69 2GB model, which clips onto clothing, can hold about 500 songs.

The Cupertino, California-based iPod maker said it has cut the price on the 1GB Shuffle model by 38 percent after shipment growth for the devices slowed last quarter. The company has dropped the price of 1-gigabyte iPod Shuffle from $79 to $49. The 1GB model, the company's smallest model, will be available immediately.

"At just $49, the iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever," said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Vice President of worldwide iPod product marketing. "The new 2GB model lets music lovers bring even more songs everywhere they go in the impossibly small iPod shuffle."

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs introduced the digital music player in September 2006, however, it was formally launched on November 3, 2006. Designed to clip neatly onto seams, pockets, collars, bags, and almost any other item, the tiny iPod Shuffle initially was offered in only silver. Now it comes in four more vibrant colours: blue, pink, green and orange, besides the original silver.

The iPod shuffle weighs about half an ounce and is half a cubic inch in size. It contains up to 12 hours of battery life, and holds as many as 240 songs. The stunning aluminum design with a built-in clip makes this smallest music player as the most wearable iPod ever.

The iPod shuffle requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0.2 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home, or Professional (Service Pack 2) and iTunes 7.0.2 or later; Internet access; and Broadband connection (recommended).

The iPod lineup includes iPod shuffle; iPod classic holding up to 40,000 songs; the iPod nano with video playback and the iPod touch with a revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface.

The new lowered-price1GB iPod shuffle is available immediately through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 2GB iPod shuffle will be available later this month through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

Apple shares jumped $1.20 to $125.83 in NASDAQ Stock Market trading on Tuesday.