Creative's next ZEN packs touchscreen, X-Fi?

Creative may finally be launching into touchscreen media players with its rumored ZEN Share player, say tips from alleged insiders. While the name is no longer certain, the device is claimed to be the first to rely on touch navigation. The new player would also break ground as the first Creative player to sport the company's X-Fi sound processing hardware, which helps restore missing detail from the compressed music files most likely to be used on a portable device.

The Wi-Fi sharing feature said to be at the heart of the new ZEN may also be different than expected, according to the claim. Rather than simply following the practice set by Microsoft's Zune, which limits sharing to local users and limited tracks, the feature is said to be "revolutionary" and unlike anything seen so far. No word has been received as to whether sharing or any additional features will rely on Internet access.

Previous reports would have the ZEN Share released in mid-to-late spring. More precise launch details are absent, though Creative has reportedly confirmed that it has no current plans to release further hard drive-based players, suggesting that the new ZEN will use flash storage.

Filed under: gadgets, audio
Other story tags: Zune, Creative, ZEN, X-Fi