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It appears that long time digital audio technology leader Creative has a product in the pipeline that would combine an MP3 players with a text messaging device, the Zen X-Fi. An interesting approach certainly, but I am a little dubious there will be a market for it as the combination seems a little bit like digital chalk and cheese. The clever fellows over at epiZENter.net have a very iPhonish leaked pic and apparently confirmation from the depths of the Creative website, where they found post-sales materials for the device.

The feature set is certainly interesting if a bit odd, including an SD card expansion slot and a built in Speaker. No words on video or storage size.

The real keys to the device appear to be:

• Wi-Fi for Chatting and Streaming: A Nine button keypad is added, replacing the traditional D-pad, designed to be used like a phone for texting and chatting in IM programs. These are contacted via the built in Wi-Fi. The wireless is also used to stream music to/from Creatives “Public Media Center” or a home server for syncing/playing.
• X-Fi: I have been using Creative’s X-Fi technology through a desktop device connected to my laptop for about a year now. It promises to improve the sometimes flat sound of digital music and it comes through, improving both the tone and the range of MP3s and giving more of a 3D depth to the sound. Creative has been promising a portable player using that tech for some time, and apparently this is it. Some audiophiles claim not to hear a difference with X-Fi but I definitely do, and it will be interesting to see how the technology plays to the much wider PM-buying audience.

So, will this new Zen be able to rival the Zune as a non-iPod music player choice? The text messaging aspect seems to be a very strange kind of fit but is certainly unique, and the built in streaming and X-Fi are certainly welcome additions to the PMP world.

No official announcement on this one from Creative yet, but keep your eyes on epiZENter.net if the device appeals to you, as I can bet they will get any release information first.

Zealot (446 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

By day a department manager and writer for a major network device vendor...by night Zealot stalks the mean magnetic streets, striking fear into the hearts of bandwidth abusers and theme park mascots. Zealot has been involved with mobile devices for more than a decade now, starting off with dumb phones, moving to PDAs and then to smartphones, notebooks and netbooks with the odd PMP thrown in. Most of his mobile time currently is spent on a Treo Pro, Zune HD, Thinkpad T61, Gigabyte M912M or a Hackintoshed Compaq Mini 704. He proudly groks the Geek community and considers himself a Neo Maxi Zune Dweebie (thanks Will Wheaton!).