The headphones Apple includes with its range of iPods have never been a major selling point. Sure, they do the job, but many people choose to scrap Apple’s trademark-white earbuds in favor of higher quality units. That was why many people cried foul when Apple released the third generation iPod Shuffle, which forced people to use the included headphones because the Shuffle’s controls were located on the headphone cable. Belkin has released a new headphone adapter that restores your ability to listen to the Shuffle on headphones of your own choosing.
It was only a matter of time before a third party manufacturer came to the party with a headphone adapter for the Shuffle and Belkin’s offering includes in-line controls that function the same way as those on the standard iPod Shuffle earbuds. Users can adjust volume, skip tracks, toggle between playlists, and hear a song title. The adapter consists of a 3.5 mm jack input at one end, a 3.5 mm jack connector at the other, and the controller in the middle. We won’t read anything into the fact that it comes in anti-Apple black.
The Belkin Headphone Adapter for iPod Shuffle will be available at the end of July in North America and in mid-August everywhere else. It retails for USD$19.99.
