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Now here's a breaking story that is likely to mask something far bigger...

Out of the blue Apple has sliced the price of its tiny screen-less Shuffle players from $79.99 (£40) to just $49.99 (£25) - a cut of almost 40 per cent. Just as interestingly, there was no pomp or ceremony behind the move. The Store didn't go down, heck there hasn't even been a press release.

The most obvious suggestion therefore is that the Shuffle is repositioning or even disappearing entirely to make way for new products. Certainly, the decision creates a huge price point hole in the company's portfolio with a $149.99 4GB nano the next model up. If you want my bet, both the 4GB and 8GB nanos will come down to make way for a long overdue 16GBer.

For the record, the new cheaper Shuffle itself hasn't changed a bit. Capacity (1GB), size (27.3 x 41.2 x 10.5mm), weight (15.6g) and battery life (12 hours continuous playback) are all identical as is the selection of colours (silver, blue, red, green and purple).

In typical Apple style, the Shuffle price cut hasn't yet materialised in other countries so if you were planning to buy one: hold off. If you're feeling more ambitious however and want to see what the company has planned to plug this gap: hold off a little longer...

Update: The Apple Store is now down - yes, it's Tuesday! Expect that nano dance sooner than we thought. 16GB nano and price drops. Has to be... (hasn't it?)

Link:
iPod Shuffle - Apple Store US

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