iPod Shuffle teardown reveals amazingly tight design

Quincy Pince-Nez
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March 12, 2009
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Not that you didn't know it already from all of the hoopla, but the new iPod Shuffle is smaaallll. And the technology inside is even smaller. The fine folks at iFixit did what they do best and ripped apart a new Shuffle for everyone to see:

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Add NoteStep 1 — First Look 

  • Here it is, in all its magnificent glory -- the new Shuffle! We'll post updates on twitter about interesting things that we discover as we go.

  • The box is as dainty as its contents.

  • According to Apple, the Shuffle has a "true volume" of 4,326 cubic millimeters and weighs in at 10.7 grams. A single MacBook Pro 17" weighs as much as 286 of these Shuffles.

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Add NoteStep 2

  • Contents of the box:

    • iPod Shuffle

    • Apple Earphones (with in-line remote)

    • USB Cable

    • Quick Start guide

  • We gave it a quick listen before tearing it apart...

  • The controls are not as awkward as we expected, but we still prefer pushing buttons.

  • Compatibility does not appear to be this iPod's strong suit. We tried this iPod with a Shuffle 2nd Generation dock, but it doesn't fit. We tried the cable with a Shuffle 2nd Generation, and that didn't work either.

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Add NoteStep 3

  • The usual suspects.

  • Can you pick the Shuffle out of this lineup?

  • The Shuffle does not say iPod (or Shuffle) anywhere. As far as we know, this is the first iPod that Apple didn't label.

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Add NoteStep 4

  • Upon connecting the shuffle to a computer, we learned that the voice-over feature must first be downloaded via iTunes.

  • Interestingly enough, normal headphones can still be used to listen to music. The only drawback: without Apple's proprietary headphone playback control, you will not be able to change songs or adjust the volume.

  • The headphone playback control offers two buttons for volume control and a center button for playback control. The center button can be clicked once to play, twice for the next track, and three times for the previous track.

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Add NoteStep 5

  • On to the dismemberment...

  • Apple hasn't made their iPods easy to open lately, and unfortunately we don't expect things to change with this iPod.

  • We begin by inserting a metal spudger into a crevice between the rear cover and the rest of the shuffle.

  • Inserting the metal spudger creates a gap big enough to insert an iPod opening tool. We slide the iPod tool across the length of the gap to dislodge the left side of the rear cover.

  • Now that one side of the rear cover is fully dislodged, it's easy enough to use the iPod opening tool to dislodge the right side as well.

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Add NoteStep 6

  • We're in. That wasn't too bad, but the shuffle isn't going to win any awards for easy serviceability.

  • It's fairly easy to bend the rear cover even though it is made out of aluminum.

  • There is a retaining tab on the top of the shuffle that prevents the rear cover from being pulled apart on the top side. The rear cover should be pulled apart from the iPod on the bottom side first.

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Add NoteStep 7

  • Is this the future? A single IC, a battery, and some user interface components.

  • Amazingly, at least on our scale, both halves weighed 5 grams. That means the entire functional half of the iPod weighs only about 10% more than a single sheet of letter size paper.

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Add NoteStep 8

  • Remove the small Phillips screw. We won't waste our time circling it -- there's only one.

  • We get lots of requests to add more screw guides. Fortunately we don't need to make one for this iPod. Just don't drop the screw, and you'll be fine.

 

Comments (16)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 12, 2009 - 9:19pm

I thought that was iFixit and not tech restore...

talkingfuture (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 1:05am

Its incredible to see how much can be squeezed in there.

Jaryd (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 2:08am

That's what she said.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 2:51am

ROLF

Kev Orng (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 6:33am

ROLF?? I can't tell if you're barfing, or rolling on the laughing floor. Either way, I'm-a going to stand waaaay over here.

rockershifi | March 13, 2009 - 4:38am

Thanks for this post. It looks so cool, I am sure I would lose one as its so light and so tiny. Cool post. The first iPOD mini I had now looks like a beast compared to this. I don't think they can make it much smaller and it you still be able to use it with an adult hand!

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Jenni (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 4:52am

How does Apple do it? They create products that I didn't even know I needed. And I already have an iPod! I also love the Mickey Mouse pez comparison.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 6:15am

Cool! They even include a free coin!

Kev Orng (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 6:37am

It was probably just stuck under the clip! My 2g shuffle seems to have a coin stuck under the clip every time I pull it out of my pocket.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 8:11am

It wasn't free, they had to increase the price by $30 in order to be able to include that coin.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 10:43am

why the fuck is this website making a windows alert noise at me? horrible memories, and when will browsers have integrated volume control lol

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 13, 2009 - 4:40pm

It just shows how innovative Apple is. The more you think of it, the more you realise how techy gadget will be in the future.

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9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 14, 2009 - 12:53am

you are screwed if you want to use your own headphones with this thing...

8to7MacDood (not verified) | March 14, 2009 - 11:48pm

you just can't use your own headphone, or even earbuds. hardly the end of the world

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 14, 2009 - 8:56am

Finally once again a good looking Apple product! Their new macbooks and IMacs look like a new Dell-style

Mobius (not verified) | March 17, 2009 - 6:08am

I can't imagine Apple adding more storage to the Shuffles in the future. I mean 1,000 songs on a screen-less device? And the voice thing can only speak so fast...so trying to find that 1 song out of 1,000 has got to be tedious. I have a 4GB Sansa Clip that's the size of the old Shuffles and it has a tiny 3 line screen....and even then...it's still tedious finding my music.