Goodbye iPod Shuffle, you have served us well

That might be what you say if you believe the latest rumours

The iPod Shuffle might have be your best friend, but those days of love might soon be numbered – there’s talk that Apple’s set to axe it from its product line-up.

According to 9to5Mac, supplies of the cheapest iPod are beginning to run low, which has led to much speculation that the unit’s production may soon be halted. These sources claim that the iDevice maker has pre-warned its retail employees of the short supply, without any indication as to when they will be re-stocked.

In addition to that, 9to5 has pointed out another clue to the possibility of its demise – its shipping time. If you have recently ordered one online, you would have realised that it takes about 10 business days before you get it, as compared to the usual 24 hours for most of its other products.

But of course, this dwindle in sales can also mean that Apple might be coming up with something new to replace the iPod Shuffle instead of just killing the product line altogether, and that’s a high possibility given Apple’s history.

For one, it limited the supply of its original MacBooks in June 2011 before killing off the line and replacing it with the newer MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros. So this might be the same effect on the iPod Shuffle should Apple’s plans include something similar.

We guess we’ll have to wait for some leaks or rumours of reasonable iPod Shuffle alternatives in the pipeline before we jump to conclusions. We’ll be sure to update this space if and when we come across any.

Original Story : http://www.stuff.tv/my/ipod-shuffle-2g/goodbye-ipod-shuffle-you-have-served-us-well/news