Last year, Apple took a leap with its iPod Shuffle and moved all playback controls onto the included headphones, but they were prone to failure, and now Apple is replacing broken earbuds.
Third-generation iPod Shuffle owners with defective Apple Headphones With Remote can get a free replacement from Apple. These are the buds with an inline remote on the cord for controlling playback. Apple says a "very small percentage of iPod shuffle owners have experienced this issue."
The offer is good within two years of purchase. Symptoms of broken earbuds include non-responsive controls, unexpected volume changes or unexpected playing of voice feedback.
The third-generation iPod Shuffle is smaller than previous models -- the width of a finger, but shorter -- because it has no controls for playback. Instead, the Shuffle's controls are located on the cord of its white earbuds. Apple insisted that the location was more convenient anyway, while allowing the MP3 player to shrink in size.
But the move drew criticism from people who didn't like being locked into Apple's proprietary buds. Using another headset or plugging into external speakers required a special adapter with the controls on it, such as Belkin's $20 solution.
Now it seems the Shuffle's problems run deeper. Apple won't say why the problems occurred, but Ars Technica speculates that sweat from working out with the Shuffle damages the remote's internals, having experienced that issue themselves. Because Apple says affected shuffles were made between February 2009 and February 2010, it's safe to assume that they've created headphones that are no longer prone to failure.
Still, I'd like to see Apple offer a Shuffle that retained buttons on the device itself. The inline remote on the earbuds is a good idea, especially for people who use the MP3 player during exercise, but not as the only way to control the device.
