iPod: The next generation...

Apple has created a fourth-generation iPod that keeps faith with the click-wheel navigation but offers a slimmer case and significantly improved battery life - something which fans of the gadget have been crying out for.

The two new models will offer greater capacity for the same price as the current line-up. A 20GB iPod will sell for $299 in the States, while the top-of-the-line 40GB model will retail for $399. Currently, Apple sells a 15GB version for $299, a 20GB version for $399 and a 40GB model for $499.

It is not yet known when the new iPods will be available, and an Apple representative was not available for comment.

The details were revealed as part of a cover story on the iPod and its impact in Newsweek. The cover shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs holding one of the new, still-white models. In January 2002, the new iMac was featured on the cover of Time.

The battery in the new iPod is said to offer 12 hours of battery life, up from an 8-hour rating for the current models. According to Newsweek, the jump comes from better power-management features, rather than a higher-capacity battery. The click-wheel interface is similar to the one Apple introduced in January with its iPod mini.

There are also software advances, including the ability to listen to audio books at a faster or slower rate, as well as ways to create and edit more than one playlist from the iPod itself. Previously, only one playlist could be made and songs could be added, but not removed.

The iPod has been a boon to Apple's sales and profits, with the company now selling roughly as many iPods as Mac computers.

Ina Fried writes for News.com