[1] Released on January 11, 2005, during the Macworld expo,[3] the first-generation iPod Shuffle weighed 0.78 ounces (22 g), resembled a pack of chewing gum sticks,[4] and was designed to be easily loaded with a selection of songs and to play them in sequential or random order.

It used the SigmaTel STMP35xx system on a chip (SOC) and its software development kit (SDK) v2.6, a flash memory IC, and USB rechargeable lithium cell.

The STMP35xx SOC and its software was the most fully integrated portable MP3 playback at release time and SigmaTel was Austin's largest IPO (2003) capturing over 60% of flash based MP3 player world market share in 2004.

In 2005, peak iPod first-generation Shuffle production occurred at a hundred thousand units per day, at the Asus factory.

It lacks a display, click wheel, playlist management features, and the games, address book, calendar, alarm, and notes capability of larger iPods.

To cater to the limited capacity and intended usage scenario, two new features were added to iTunes: AutoFill, which selects songs at random from a user's music library (or from a specific playlist) and copies as many as would fit into the iPod Shuffle's storage - available as a supplement or replacement to manual selection; and an option to automatically transcode audio files of higher specifications to 128 kbit/s AAC-LC while transferring them (which would remain exclusive to the iPod Shuffle series until iTunes 9.1).

Due to superior audio technology in the SigmaTel STMP35xx SOC and SDK, the first generation had a better bass response than a fourth-generation iPod, according to a review published days after its release.

On the reverse, it features a battery level indicator light (activated by a button) and a three-position switch to turn the unit off or set it to play music in order or shuffled.

This generation included the new built-in belt clip, and the actual unit itself was thinner, with the entire device weighing only 15.5 g (0.55 ounces).

The new blue, green and pink variants of the iPod Shuffle reverted to shades that were similar to the colors that were released in January 2007.

[12] In June 2009, Avon offered a gold iPod Shuffle (second generation) for $29 when purchased in conjunction with two ANEW skin care products.

The third-generation iPod Shuffle was released on March 11, 2009; it was said by Apple to be "jaw-droppingly small" and "The first music player that talks to you".

[20] On August 27, 2010, Apple won a patent for a "Very small form factor consumer electronic product",[21] which describes the parts and processes that go into making the ultra-portable music player, the iPod shuffle.

The model also features VoiceOver from the third generation, now with a devoted physical button, in twenty-nine languages (Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish).

On July 15, 2015, Apple released 6 new colors (blue, pink, silver, gold, space grey, and Product Red) for the iPod Shuffle.

[24] GoldLight BlueLight GreenPurpleProduct Red special edition The iPod Shuffle was announced at the same time as the Mac Mini.

These two products together can be seen as a conscious effort on the part of Apple management to target a lower-end market and increase visibility in the mass-market.

PC World reported a problem with the first-generation iPod Shuffles ceasing normal function, only to flash orange and green lights and become unmountable.

Since the Shuffle has no display, the owner cannot read an error message or troubleshoot easily, requiring diagnosis by Apple service personnel.

Flashing green and orange lights on the iPod Shuffle indicate that a generic "error" has occurred, according to Apple's documentation.