What a disappointment this product is for me. Being an Apple branded product, I expected much better. I needed a remote so I didn't have to take my iPod out of my backpack to make adjustments. The radio was just a nice extra. Unfortunately, I bought this unit based on a number of favorable reviews on different web sites. Either they are describing a different product or I'm just simply an isolated case. But I don't think so and here's why:

Not Durable
This is actually the second unit I received. The first remote that I purchased started acting strange after about three weeks of constant use. It developed a short in the headphone jack and would intermittently cause the music to sound like it was playing in a long tunnel. At first, I thought it was my headphones since I would jiggle the plug and it would return to normal, but eventually, all the jiggling didn't do anything so I plugged the headphones into the iPod directly and it sounded fine. Now, the new one I received in exchange seems to be randomly changing the volume even though I don't have the sound check turned on and the lock is turned on on both the iPod and the remote.

Clip Not Strong Enough
No matter where I clip this thing, it doesn't seem to stay. It did work when I first started using it, but now the spring doesn't seem strong enough to stay attached to anything. I normally clip it to the shoulder strap of my bag, but now the slightest movement causes it to fall off. Another victim of form before function. Sure, it looks good, but only when it stays put.

Poor Radio Reception
Granted I live in a fringe area so I can barely pick up stations at home. But that's not really where I need it. I have a home stereo for that. Where I use it is walking around town and on the bus during my daily commute. After all, that's why it's portable. Unfortunately, when I move around, the reception fades in and out, even in strong reception areas. Sometimes it's not fading but rather getting multiplexed signals, sort of a delayed echo effect. Sometimes the signal just goes dead. Oh well, that's not really why I bought it.

Wires are Too Long
The designers at Apple must be 8 feet tall, because you'd have to be that tall to be short on the length of the wires. The headphones wires aren't long enough to clip the remote to your belt and they're too long when you clip the remote to your shirt. Then the wire between the remote and your iPod is still too long and gets tangled in everything in my pocket or backpack or messenger bag.

What do I like about it? Very little except that I can pause my iPod and control the volume. It also comes in handy when you want to listen with a friend since you have two headphone jacks now.

Recommended: No