The 1GB iPod shuffle is out of stock at Apple’s online store and is not expected to be available again until next month. A brief note on the store reads: “Sold out for holiday. Expected availability mid-January.” Coincidentally, Macworld Expo in San Francisco, where Apple annually releases new products, runs January 9-13. The 512MB shuffle is still available for order and ships in 1-2 business days, according to Apple.
American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu said last month that the shuffle is due for a refresh as early as January. “We are hearing of an even smaller form factor (smaller than a stick of gum) and the potential for the re-introduction of multiple colors, particularly popular among women, including black,” Wu wrote in the report obtained by iLounge. “We believe price points ($99 and $129) and storage capacities (512 MB and 1 GB) will be similar to the current offerings to minimize overlap with the iPod nano.
