iPod Flash to cut costs

Apple's freshest project, the iPod Flash, is to be retailed at just £50, according to reports released today.

The provisional price tag sets the music player at £150 cheaper than the iPod mini and £250 more economical than a 4G iPod.

The new device will be manufactured in a similar size to the iPod mini and is designed to hang around users' necks.

An energy-efficient flash memory will hold up to 250 songs on the iPod Flash, a step away from the traditional iPod and the iPod mini which both use disk drives and therefore use more battery power in comparison to flash memory.

This absence of disk drives in addition to a lack of screens increases the durability of the iPod Flash tenfold. The macmind.com website went so far as to described the device as "virtually indestructible".

The official unveiling of the Apple flash-based iPod is expected to take place during the first few weeks of January.