Apple Announces New iPods

Apple has announced a complete refresh of their iPod music player range, from the $49 iPod Shuffle to the $229 iPod Touch.

The new iPod Shuffle has simialr styling to the previous models, but adds a number of controls on the player body for ease of use. However, it continues to support the in-line headphone controls and VoiceOver features of previous models. Apple claims it offers up to 15 hours of battery life, and it is priced at $49 for a 2GB model, the only capacity on offer.

The iPod Nano seems to have shrunk in the wash, with the new model not being much bigger than the iPod Shuffle at just 1.48 by 1.61 by 0.35 inches. It includes a 1.54-inch LCD touch screen display that supports multi-touch, like the larger iPod Touch and iPhone models. This display can show playlists or other information (such as a clock face), but does not run the Apps that the larger iPod Touch supports. Apple claims that it can keep playing music for up to 24 hours from the built-in battery, and that this will charge in about 3 hours. The new player will cost $149 for an 8GB model and $179 for a 16GB model.

The new iPod Touch includes the new Retina high-resolution display that was first seen on the iPhone 4. The new screen is jsut one of a number of new features, though, including dual front and back facing cameras, video calling support, and support for capturing and uploading 720p video. Apple claims a 40-hour battery life for audio and 7 hours for video. The new iPod touch will cost $229 for an 8GB model and $229 for a 32GB model.

All of the new models are available now.