When Microsoft releases a touch screen Zune in the fall, it'll have a few things the iPod Touch does not, including an OLED screen and HD Radio.
Confirming to CNet and Electronista the existence of the Zune HD -- which is not the finalized product name -- Microsoft made the device official, though it has been talked about for over a month and rumored for even longer. It'll have a 3.3-inch, 480 x 372 OLED screen, HD Radio and the ability to output high-definition video through a docking station. The Zune HD will run on a modified version of Windows CE and will include a Web browser with Wi-Fi. Pricing and capacity are still unknown.
Microsoft isn't being shy about its intentions to rival Apple. "This device is created to go head to head with the iPod Touch," Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Zune, told CNet.
Microsoft's plans for the Zune fit into a broader goal to integrate its entertainment devices. The company will bring some sort of Zune-related marketplace to Xbox Live, but it's not known whether videos purchased on one service will be playable on the other. However, Stephenson said one goal is to make content compatible on a variety of devices in the future.
The Zune HD's gaming capabilities will remain a mystery until E3. We've heard that some sort of Xbox and Zune hybrid is on the way, but it's not clear how the Zune HD fits into those rumors.
The most interesting part of this news is the inclusion of HD Radio. It'll definitely give the technology a boost, but I'd really like to see Microsoft make it easy for users to purchase the songs they hear over the air. Can we get a mobile music store, please?
