Apple has announced that it will start selling the new version of its iPod Shuffle on 3 November.

The new Shuffle is about the size of a matchbook, making it significantly smaller than the previous model. It features play, pause and skip buttons and volume controls only. Users can set the device to play songs in sequence or randomly.

Similar to the first Shuffle, the media player lacks a display. It features a 1GB capacity and up to 12 hours of battery life, according to Apple. The full retail price is $79.

The new iPod Shuffle was unveiled seven weeks ago at a special event in San Francisco and was scheduled to start shipping in October.

The release comes 11 days before Microsoft is due to ship its Zune portable media player, which is expected to be the iPod’s biggest competitor this holiday season.

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