The iPod shuffle was introduced on January 11, 2005, as the “First iPod Under $100” (the 512 MB version sold for $99 and this 1 GB version sold for $149). Apple described the device in a press release as a “breakthrough digital music player based on iPod’s legendary shuffle feature which lets users experience their music in a million different ways. Smaller and lighter than a pack of gum, iPod shuffle comes with its own lanyard so it’s ready to wear right out of the box.”
The original iPod shuffle featured 512 MB or 1 GB of flash memory in a 3.3 x 0.98 x 0.33-inch case with an integrated USB connector. Like all iPod shuffle models that would come after it, it lacked a display. The name “shuffle” refers to its ability to shuffle—play in a random order—among the 120 or 240 songs it is capable of storing.
Like other iPod models, the iPod shuffle could be used to store files other than music files, a feature that worked particularly well on this device with its integrated USB plug.
The original iPod shuffle shipped with a white lanyard, a cap, and earbuds.
