A reviewer of Apple's latest iPod Shuffle reports that third-party accessories, such as headphone adapters, will require an authentication chip, the cost of which will likely be passed on to consumers.
The third-generation iPod Shuffle is smaller than its predecessors because the controls were moved off the player to a small control bar on the included earbuds. Reactions to the new design ranged from indifferent to outraged, with some audiophiles calling the move a dealbreaker.
iLounge reports that the cost of third-party remote control adapters will likely be around $29, and no less than $19. This is partly because Apple collects a licensing fee when manufacturers use its authentication chip, required for third-party devices. Currently, no such remote control is available, and Apple hasn't announced plans to make its own.
Two companies are already working on solutions with inline controls, but they are more expensive than the remote control solutions that iLounge is suggesting. Klipshe plans to sell earbuds for $99.99 this summer, and Scosche is working on $49.99 noise-isolating earphones. Both will include the type of three-button controller that comes standard on the iPod Shuffle, with support for the player's new talk-to-you feature, Engadget reports.
Scosche is also developing an adapter with an 1/8-inch jack, compatible with any pair of headphones. This seems like the kind of solution Apple should've packed in, even if it procludes the listener from keeping the controls high up by his or her head.
