It’s rather rare to see Apple going backward in designs. In 2005, Apple removes the screen thing by introducing the iPod Shuffle. Last year, they removed the buttons by introducing a new Shuffle with no buttons, only an OFF-ON-SHUFFLE button. Now, they’ve just announced a brand new, re-designed iPod Shuffle. The buttons are back!

Design wise, it’s rather similar to the original shuffle. Square, with a clip. Gone are the looks of the previous shuffle, which looks like something from Sony’s lineup actually. Hardware wise, the new Shuffle can jam with you for 15 hours straight. 2GB storage seemed to be the only choice. But that’s pretty much that, and nothing else. Five colours for you to choose from, and Apple’s gladly ship them next week, for a decent price of $49.

“We’re making the iPod shuffle even better by combining clickable buttons and VoiceOver technology, so users can find and enjoy their music without ever looking at their iPod shuffle,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With its all-aluminum enclosure and built-in clip the new iPod shuffle is a great workout companion, and at just $49 it’s a great entry-level iPod that almost everyone can afford.”

The new iPod shuffle now supports Genius Mixes, the popular iTunes® feature that automatically creates mixes from songs in a user’s music library that go great together. Genius Mixes provide the perfect way to rediscover music users already have, but may not have listened to recently. A DJ mash-up-wannabe? Hope it doesn’t go wrong.

Order your iPod Shuffle here at Apple