“Ships to Store” indicates store has no units in stock
If you’re trying to buy Apple’s cheapest iPod, the $49 screen-less Shuffle, you may be in for a difficult shopping trip. According to multiple sources, supplies of the iPod Shuffle are dwindling across Apple’s physical retail and online channels. In fact, Apple has warned its retail employees that Shuffle supplies will be short for an unspecified period of time and that customers seeking to buy a Shuffle via a retail store should be directed to Apple’s online store…
But that, too, might not be so helpful. According to Apple’s official online store, the iPod shuffle ships in “7-10 business days,” which is far longer than the 24 hours quoted for the two remaining iPod lines, the Touch and the Nano. This uncommon shipping time (for an older product) exists for all available colors. The current generation iPod shuffle was introduced in 2010, but it has seen a couple of color refreshes over the past couple of years.
It is unclear what this nearly-unprecendented supply shortage means for the iPod Shuffle. The most likely possibility is that this shortage represents a temporary lack of components and that Shuffle production will pick up full speed in the near future. It is also plausible that Apple could be preparing to discontinue the iPod shuffle given that it axed the iPod Classic just last year. iPod sales have fallen dramatically since the advent of both the iPhone and iPad.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Time to make shelf space for the Apple Watch.
The shuffle probably has margins of 500% or more at this point, so while it may not sell in much volume, it’s a cash cow of profit when it does. Doesn’t make much sense to kill it.
Unless it causes cannibalisation: somebody wanting an Apple product (for its brand), may choose a shuffle instead of a touch or iPad. One may prefer to save a little longer rather to not buy anything at all. But that’s something only the marketing dept. can determine.
Another reason may be to make their product lines less wide; they’re a focused company—just like there are just 2–4 iPad models and 3–4 iPhone models. The Apple Watch widens the product line, so the shuffle has to go. Who knows…
The Apple Watch is the same size as this – and can do everything this can. The shuffle is also the only wearable Apple makes right now.
Apple also just killed the iPod classic.
It makes perfect sense to kill this now – and try and shift any potential users of it to the Watch + the wireless Bluetooth earphones they will be releasing.
Apple is not shy at killing its own products – the shuffle is looking super dated now too. Stand alone music players have certainly had their day – and sales are likely to be dwindling to a trickle.
Also at $49 regardless of the margin – this won’t even be a blip on Apple’s radar – whereas the watch is the future. Time for the retirement home shuffle….
The nano is just as much a wearable device as the shuffle….so there’s that.
I think he was referencing that the Nano doesn’t have a clip which Apple has, in the past, used to market an iPod as “wearable.”
agreed…the apple watch will not only play music but do a ton of other stuff all in the same form factor plus it will be much more comfortable to wear on the wrist.
Also probably the biggest users of this are people working out – which the watch will also excel at and offer way more utility for as a fitness tracker AND music player.
This should be the end of a ‘declining product’.
The Apple Watch will excel at being a smartwatch for your phone, not at tracking fitness. I can tell you that anyone remotely serious about their fitness discipline will not be looking at the Apple Watch. Requiring you to tether your phone to use GPS is a just one of the glaring issues.
Activity tracker (steps, distance, calories) – yes. Fitness match – no. It still remains to be seen how accurate the optical HR monitor is going to be.
I’m still glad I have tiny light shuffle because I don’t think I can afford an Apple watch when it comes out in March.
The glory days for it are far gone, so time to move on to better things. I hate the thing anyway, but love the Classic.
In Italy still available in all colors, ship in 2/3 days
I’ve always liked these even though, I never had a need.
if they make the nano a little smaller, no one will have a need for the shuffle.
geez…it wasn’t too long ago ipods were the sh!t
Noooooo! It’s the perfect iPod for gym! I love its simplicity and design.
An iWatch + BT earphones + iPhone it’s not the same AT ALL.
i use mine every day, just change my playlists/podcasts. light and great volume
Because Apple is concerned with cannibalization?
It seems more likely that they’re just going through a manufacturing change to lower the production costs of the shuffle.