Creative launches credit-card sized ZEN media player

Tiny PMP gets official announcement

29 August 2007 9:22 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

After leaks yesterday, Creative has officially launched the "amazing" ZEN - a credit-card sized music, video and photo player.

The little player (measuring just 55 x 83 x 12mm) boasts a 16.7 million colour 2.5-inch colour screen and will be available in models with 4, 8 or 16GB storage - plus an SD card slot for expansion.

A particularly format friendly little fella, the new ZEN will happily play music in AAC format (so will play DRM-fee iTunes offerings), MP3 and WMA and likes tunes from subscription services.

The ZEN will play video, in 320 x 240 resolution straight from MPEG4, DivX, XviD and WMV formats, software is provided to auto convert other video files.

Battery life appears good for such a slimline device - one charge of the built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 5 hours of video playback or up to 25 hours for music.

Usability-wise, the ZEN user interface has been given a fresh new look that means more information will be viewed on the screen.

The player also includes a built-in FM radio with 32 station presets, a voice recorder, and a personal organiser which can synchronise contacts, to do lists, and calendars with Microsoft Outlook.

Pricing for the 4GB version is £99.99; 8GB £139.99; 16GB pricing as yet unconfirmed.

The Creative ZEN will be showcased at IFA 2007 which Pocket-lint will be attending so we'll grab some hands-on quality time with this new player and let you know our verdict very soon.