Apple has announced the new editions of the iPod nano and iPod shuffle during a press conference that was held yesterday in San Francisco.

 

 

The new iPod nano sports the company’s Multi-Touch interface, which allows users to browse through their music collections by tapping or swiping on the display. It’s not only the user interface that has been transformed, as Apple’s new nano has shrunk to nearly half the size and weight of its predecessor.

 

It boasts a built-in clip making it easier to wear; Genius Mixes which is the ability to create and edit playlists; built-in FM radio featuring live pause and music playback time of up to 24 hours from a single battery charge.

 

“This is the biggest reinvention of the iPod nano since its debut in 2005, and we think users are going to love it,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder and CEO. “Replacing the click wheel with our Multi-Touch interface has enabled us to shrink the iPod nano into an amazingly small design that is instantly wearable with its built-in clip.”

 

 

 

Cupertino also introduced the new iPod shuffle that features clickable ‘ring’ buttons, a claimed 50% improvement (up to 15 hours) in battery life, support for Genius Mixes, as well as Apple’s VoiceOver technology that enables users to easily browse through their music collection and playlists by pressing a button.

 

By pressing the VoiceOver button users will be able to listen to the name of the song that is currently being played and to then switch between songs, playlists and Genius Mixes. VoiceOver which supports 25 languages will even alert users when the shuffle’s battery needs to be charged.

 

“We’re making the iPod shuffle even better by combining clickable buttons and VoiceOver technology, so users can find and enjoy their music without ever looking at their iPod shuffle,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With its all-aluminum enclosure and built-in clip the new iPod shuffle is a great workout companion, and at just $49 it's a great entry-level iPod that almost everyone can afford.”

 

 

 

Apple’s iPod nano will be available next week in the States for a suggested price of $149 (around R1 090) for the 8 GB model and $179 (approx. R1 300) for the 16 GB model, while the iPod shuffle (also available next week) will sell for a suggested price of $49 (about R358) for a 2 GB model. The new iPod nano and -shuffle should be locally available by the end of September, but no local pricing is available yet.