iPod shuffle 4th Generation (2010): History and Specs
Buttons back on the body
The fourth and last iPod shuffle design was shown on 1 September 2010 and shipped the following week. After the third generation, which had no buttons on the player, it brought clickable controls back. A circular control pad covered the front: the centre button played and paused, and the outer buttons skipped tracks and changed the volume. On the top edge sat a three-position switch for off, play in order and shuffle, next to a new VoiceOver button. The aluminium body, with a built-in clip, measured 29.0 × 31.6 × 8.7 mm and weighed 12.5 g. The only capacity was 2GB, priced at US$49, and the launch colours were silver, blue, green, orange and pink.
VoiceOver and battery
A press of the VoiceOver button spoke the name of the current song and artist, and the button could also be used to move between songs, playlists and Genius Mixes without looking at the player. At launch VoiceOver spoke 25 languages and warned when the battery needed charging; Apple's later specification lists 29. Apple claimed nearly 50 per cent more battery life than before, with over 15 hours of music per charge. It played AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV and Audible files. The box contained Apple Earphones and an iPod shuffle USB cable for syncing and charging.
How reviewers saw it
Jason Snell reviewed it for Macworld on 7 September 2010, calling it the best iPod shuffle Apple had made. In his test it played for nearly 16 hours. He found the clip awkward on the smaller body, as opening it often pressed the back button, and noted that, unlike the second generation, the controls could not be locked. The earphones supplied had no inline controls.
Colour updates and discontinuation
Only the colours changed after launch. In September 2012 a new set added slate, purple, yellow and a (PRODUCT) RED version, and in September 2013 space grey replaced slate. The final update, on 15 July 2015, brought space grey, silver, gold, pink, blue and (PRODUCT) RED, still at US$49. On 27 July 2017 Apple discontinued the iPod shuffle together with the iPod nano.
Specifications
| Announced | 1 September 2010; shipped the following week |
|---|---|
| Launch price (US) | US$49 |
| Capacity | 2 GB flash memory |
| Display | None — a VoiceOver button reads out songs and playlists |
| Controls | Clickable control pad on the front |
| Battery | Up to 15 hours of music |
| Connectors | 3.5 mm headphone jack, also used for USB syncing and charging |
| Size | 29.0 × 31.6 × 8.7 mm including clip (1.14 × 1.24 × 0.34 in) |
| Weight | 12.5 g (0.44 oz) |
| Colours | 2010: silver, blue, green, orange, pink; 2015: space grey, silver, gold, pink, blue, (PRODUCT) RED |
| Works with | Mac or Windows PC with a USB port and iTunes (OS X 10.7.5 or Windows 7 or later for the 2015 version) |
| Model number | A1373 |
Figures from Apple's published technical specifications. Where Apple lists only inches and ounces, metric values are converted and rounded.
How to identify it
- A small square with a clickable control pad on the front and a clip on the back.
- A VoiceOver button on the top edge.
- Model number A1373, used for the 2010, Late 2012 and Mid 2015 versions.
Where to find the model number and serial number: how to identify a used iPod.