Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB (4th generation) review
The newest iPod Shuffle isn't without its charms, but there are better value MP3 players available, even at this low price.
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Unlike the last generation Shuffle, the earphones included with this model don’t have an integrated in-line remote. This is no great loss, as there are plenty of third party earphones with in-line remotes available. In any case, the included earphones sound very muddy and lack bass, so you’ll want to replace them anyway. Audio quality vastly improved when we used a better-sounding set of third-party earphones, producing a much richer, deeper and more detailed sound.
Unsurprisingly, given its small size and lack of a screen, the Shuffle doesn’t have any extra features – not even a FM radio. There’s no WMA or OGG support, but the Shuffle can play WAVs and Apple Lossless files. It can play Audible-formatted audiobooks though.
Apple’s iPod Shuffle is an impressively tiny portable audio player with long battery life that improves upon the poor controls of the last-generation model. However, unless you must have an iPod, there are better value MP3 players available. The Sandisk Sansa Clip+ is almost as small, has even longer battery life, extra features such as a FM radio and a screen, and has twice the storage at 4GB.
Details | |
---|---|
Price | £39 |
Rating | *** |
Headphone Rating | ** |
Hardware | |
Capacity | 2.00GB |
Formatted capacity | 1.77GB |
Interface | USB2 |
Storage medium | flash memory |
Battery and charge options | Li-ion, USB |
Size | 31x10x30mm |
Weight | 12g |
Features | |
Device has screen? | No |
Native resolution | N/A |
Memory card support | None |
FM Radio | no |
Audio record options | None |
Video record options | None |
Supplied with | headphones, USB adapter |
Test Results | |
Tested battery life (MP3 playback) | 17h 5m |
Audio MP3 playback | Yes |
Audio WMA playback | No |
Audio WMA-DRM playback | No |
Audio AAC playback | Yes |
Audio Protected AAC playback | Yes |
Audio OGG playback | No |
Audio WAV playback | Yes |
Audio Audible playback | Yes |
Image BMP support | No |
Image JPEG support | No |
Image TIFF support | No |
Video MPEG-4 AVI playback | No |
Video MPEG-4 MP4 playback | No |
Video WMV playback | No |
Video MPEG-1 playback | No |
Video MPEG-2 playback | No |
Video MPEG-2 VOB playback | No |
Video MPEG-4 DivX/XviD support | No |
Video H.264 support | No |
Video MPEG-4 MP3 audio support | No |
Video MPEG-4 AAC audio support | No |
Download compatibility | iTunes |
Buying Information | |
Price per MB | 1.9p |
Warranty | one year RTB or customer carry in |
Supplier | http://store.apple.com/uk/ |
Details | www.apple.com/uk |