SigmaTel chip in iPod shuffle confirmed
Portelligent Inc. has confirmed months of market rumors claiming Apple Computer Inc.'s new iPod shuffle is driven by a chip from SigmaTel Inc.
A Thomas Weisel analyst first claimed Apple would employ chips from SigmaTel in a flash memory-based device in Oct. 3.
He said: "Based on our industry contacts, we are confident that, one, Apple is planning to launch a flash-based player, and two, SigmaTel is the provider of controller chip for that device."
Portelligent ran a product teardown analysis of an iPod shuffle, and found that the device uses SigmaTel's D-Major (TM) STMP3550 MP3 audio decoder chip for audio processing.
"This determination provides concrete verification of weeks of rumors in the trade press that the two companies had reached an agreement which would make a SigmaTel device a key part of the new flash-based Apple music player," said Dave Carey, president of Portelligent.
The iPod shuffle is selling out across the U.S. In December, Smith Barney analyst Richard Gardner said he expects Apple to sell 22 million flash-based iPods over the next two fiscal years.
Macworld.co.uk
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