Creative Introduces M100 And M300 Pocket Media Players

More new gear from Creative? Yep! The company has gone quite some time without really introducing any new equipment in the consumer universe, but that all changed over the past week. Perhaps the most interesting of the new additions is the ZEN Style M300, which is a music, photo and video player with Bluetooth wireless audio playback. It measures 55x44x12mm in size, has an open microSD card slot and a 1.45" TFT screen with Touch Buttons.

It looks somewhat similar to an iPod nano, but unlike Apple's unit, the M300 starts at just $49.99. For that price, you can probably spring for one just for gym-use. The Bluetooth 2.1 inclusion means that you can sync it up with wireless headphones, and while there's no built-in storage, 16GB microSD cards aren't demanding all that much money these days (this one's sold with 4/8/16GB included). You'll also get an FM radio tuner,  up to 20 hours of battery life and a built-in microphone for voice recording.

There's also the smaller M100 for those looking to save a few more bucks, but it's only available in 4GB and 8GB, starting at $39.99.

MILPITAS, Calif.  – May 5, 2011 – Creative Technology Ltd today announced the launch of the Creative ZEN Style M300 music, photo and video player with Bluetooth wireless audio playback. Just 55 x 44 x 12 mm in size, the Creative ZEN Style M300 is packed with features including a microSD card slot and 1.45” TFT screen with Touch Buttons, and it is priced from only $39.99.

Key Features of the Creative ZEN Style M300
•       Wireless Connectivity with Bluetooth 2.1
This allows users to enjoy music from the player wirelessly from all compatible stereo Bluetooth headphones such as the Creative WP-Series, which includes the ultra affordable Creative WP-250, and Bluetooth speakers such as the all new ZiiSound Dx Series and Creative D80, as well as Creative’s existing line-up of wireless speakers

•       Additional Space for Music with microSD Card Slot
Users can add up to 32GB* of music on top of the player’s built-in memory

•       Touch Buttons
The player’s touch sensitive control buttons let users navigate through the player’s menus easily and comfortably

•       FM Radio
The built-in FM Radio lets users add up to 32 preset stations

The Creative ZEN Style M100 was also launched today, offering the great design and features of the ZEN Style M series of players without Bluetooth connectivity and FM Radio.

Both the Creative ZEN Style M300 and Creative ZEN Style M100 feature Audible support, giving users the option of enjoying a wide range of audio content that includes books of all genres. Both players also come pre-installed with a complete edition of Alyson Noël’s Evermore, the first book in her thrilling Immortals series.

Creative ZEN Style M300 and Creative ZEN Style M100 are available in a choice of four colors: black, white, red or yellow.

Technical Specifications of the Creative ZEN Style M Series of Players

Creative ZEN Style M300 Portable Media Player
•       Display: 1.45" TFT (262K colors)
•       Capacity: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB
•       Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 wireless technology (supports A2DP & AVRCP)
•       FM Radio function with 32 preset stations
•       Battery Life: Up to 20 hours (based on128kpbs, 4mins/song, MP3 file)
•       Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WMA (DRM9),WAV (IMA-ADPCM),
     Audible Format 4, Audible AAX
•       Supported Picture Formats: JPEG
•       Supported Video Formats: Transcoded SMV (requires respective codec pre-installed on PC)
•       Built-in microphone for voice recording
•       Additional feature: Clock display

Creative ZEN Style M100 Portable Media Player
•       Display: 1.45" TFT (262K colors)
•       Capacity: 4GB, 8GB
•       Battery Life: Up to 20 hours (based on128kpbs, 4mins/song, MP3 file)
•       Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WMA (DRM9),WAV (IMA-ADPCM),
     Audible Format 4, Audible AAX
•       Supported Picture Formats: JPEG
•       Supported Video Formats: Transcoded SMV (requires respective codec pre-installed on PC)
•       Built-in microphone for voice recording
•       Additional feature: Clock display

* 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Available capacity will be less. Reported capacity will vary.

Pricing and Availability
The Creative ZEN Style M300 and Creative ZEN Style M100 portable media players will be available at the online store at www.creative.com/shop from June 2011 onwards at the following suggested retail prices:

•       Creative ZEN Style M300 4GB     $49.99
•       Creative ZEN Style M300 8GB     $69.99
•       Creative ZEN Style M300 16GB    $89.99
•       Creative ZEN Style M100 4GB     $39.99
•       Creative ZEN Style M100 8GB     $59.99

For in-store availability, please refer to local authorized dealers.

For more information about the Creative ZEN Style M300 and Creative ZEN Style M100 portable media players, please visit www.creative.com/purewireless.