The iPod shuffle has always very small size, but with the 3 generation model, Apple just broke all notions of what a small player should be with what looked like an eraser. It was the smallest music player ever, but unfortunately, this size zero came at a cost, which was the loss of buttons on the player itself. The shuffle was then dependent on its earphones to control the music for it and without them it was as good as a paper clip.

This also meant that users could not use their own headphones with the shuffle as then they would have no way to control it. An alternative would be to buy expensive adaptors that would let you plug in your own headphones and control the player.

Apple realized the problem with this design and so for the fourth generation model they have gone back to their older device. The new shuffle looks a lot like the second generation model, but is now smaller. It uses an anodized aluminum body and comes in five different colors. As with the previous two generations, it comes with a clip on the back, so you can wear the player without the need for any other accessories. The controls are now on the player itself, so you can use any headphones with the device. The new shuffle still retains the VoiceOver feature, which debuted with the previous generation model.