iPod Mini, Shuffle to Get Updates

Apple enthusiast site ThinkSecret on Friday reported that Apple is planning to make significant changes to its iPod Mini line and introduce larger iPod Shuffles in the coming weeks. The announcements are expected at Apple Expo Paris on September 20.

Apple has scheduled a press event next Wednesday, however it is widely expected that the Cupertino company will use the event to announce the oft-delayed Motorola iTunes phone.

Motorola has announced an event for press later that night in New York City.

The iPod Mini is expected to move completely to Flash memory, and be available in sizes of 4GB, 6GB and 8GB. Apple will use flash chips from Samsung, and recently purchased up to 40 percent of the company's inventory, according to analyst firm iSuppli.

Samsung in June announced that it had developed a new line of Flash memory that will not only allow manufacturers to shrink devices even further, but also provide up to 8GB of space on a single chip.

According to reports, Apple will use dual flash chips to attain the 6GB and 8GB capacities.

A color screen will be added to the player along with a reduction in size of up to 25 percent, ThinkSecret says. Due to the smaller size, the screen will also shrink, although it is expected to have a higher resolution than previous models.

Pricing of the new iPod Mini models is not clear at this time.

Apple is expected to add a new option to its iPod Shuffle lineup at 2GB. Pricing on the smaller models could be lowered as a result, with the 512MB Shuffle dropping to as low as $69 USD, the 1GB at $99 USD, and the 2GB somewhere between $129 and $149 USD.