Rumors are circulating that Apple might be about to cease production of the iPod Shuffle. The speculation comes after several stores reported low stocks of the device. Reports say that Apple has told its retail stores that the device will be in short supply and have given no information about when it may return.
The Shuffle is the cheapest of all the iPods and is also amongst the least expensive of all the items in Apple’s catalogue. Attempt to order the Shuffle online and you’ll be told that it could take up to 10 business days to receive the device. This is in contrast with the vast majority of other Apple products, which are usually shipped within 24 hours.
It’s thought that the dwindling supply of Shuffles means that a new version is about to be launched or the device is about to be killed off altogether. The 13-inch MacBook Air ran low before the laptop was refreshed in 2013, whilst supplies of the original MacBook became scarce before the device was discontinued. It was replaced with MacBook Air and Pro laptops. The iPod Classic has already been discontinued, although Apple CEO Tim Cook said the decision was made due to a lack of readily-available parts.
Will you miss the Shuffle if it goes, or do you think that smartphones and streaming have made traditional MP3 players obsolete? Let us know below.