Zune 3.0 Is On Its Way

What's better than a whole new line-up of iPods? A whole new line-up of Zunes! At least, that's what Microsoft is hoping. In a week when Apple is likely to make their own splash with a slew of media player announcements, Microsoft has squeaked in to steal their thunder and give the world a glimpse of the new Zunes.

The big hardware improvement will be the increased capacity: a 120GB hard drive model and a 16GB flash model. Increased capacity is great, but admit it... what you're most excited about is the slick new blue color:

We also love Microsoft's decision to include an FM tuner in the Zune, and the 3.0 update will bring every Zune the ability to tag and purchase songs from the radio. Apple might be king of the media players, but it's still baffling that they don't have a tuner. It's true that radio is a niche market compared to the burgeoning digital music phenomenon, but we think a lot of people would like to use their iPods to listen to sports broadcasts on the go or enjoy NPR once in a while. (Not to mention all the people who still tune into the radio for their dose of pop music.)

Also on tap for the Zunes? Lots of ways to give and get more music recommendations and to construct smart playlists using Mixview. There's support for audiobooks, too. And two free games: Texas Hold 'Em and... Hexic! We loved Hexic when it launched with the Xbox 360, so we'll hardly complain about this great addition.

All of this will be coming your way September 16th. Now if only anything in this press release could even remotely steal any kind of thunder from a powerhouse like Apple...

[Via Microsoft]