The Interest in the New iPod Shuffle Is "Tremendous"

Apple's head of worldwide product marketing, Phil Schiller said in a telephone interview with Reuters that the response to the new iPod shuffle has been tremendous and early response and reviews have been phenomenal.

The new iPod shuffle, which started selling last week, has been an immediate "must have" and - according to Schiller - Apple is "really excited" about the holiday sales period which is expected to heat up in the following weeks.

AppleInsider wrote that analysts' speculations were that the new iPod shuffle could emerge as the dark horse of the company's entire digital music player line, outselling all other models on its way to boosting overall iPod shipments to a new quarterly high for the three-month period

ending December.

This "excitement" is surely understandable if we take into consideration all the positive responses to the new shuffle and that during this same period last year Apple sold over 14 million iPods. This is a record that hasn't been broken yet, but the majority of analysts who provide coverage of Apple expect the company to outdo itself this holiday season. The estimations on iPod shipments range from 14 to 20 million for the quarter, says AppleInsider.

The new iPod shuffle needs no new introduction as it is the smallest and, at the same time, coolest digital music player released by Apple, and iPod fans loved it from the very beginning. It is understandable why predictions of future sales are so optimistic, as the price tag that says only $79 on the shuffle can be a very hard to resist temptation in this shopping season and the shuffle makes for a wonderful gift for the holidays.

Still, some might want to wait a little for the new iPod video, about which - sources say - it will be launched before Christmas.

Related Links:

$29 iPod shuffles

SigmaTel or Samsung?

The New iPod Shuffle

iPod: Say No to Crack Campaign

2007 iPod Buyers Guide

Why the iPod Will Fail

The Perfect Christmas Gift - Touchscreen iPod