Sandisk reveals Fuze music player

Milpitas (CA) - Sandisk has unveiled its latest digital playback device with an FM radio, voice recorder, 1.9-inch screen and video/music functionality, for around the same price as an iPod Shuffle.

Sandisk’s history as an iPod competitor has been really interesting. The company is best known for its position in the flash media market, one of the more boring sides of the consumer electronics industry. Yet is also managed to make it to second place in MP3 player sales, behind Apple.

The Sansa line is about as diverse as the iPod collection, although it has really made inroads in the sub-$100 market. The Fuze will carry a retail price of around $80 for 2 GB of internal memory. There will also be 4 GB and 8 GB models, priced at around $100 and $120, respectively.

In addition to that, it has a microSD card slot for added media capacity. The models will be available in pink, red, blue, black and silver.

The Fuze can playback MP3, WAV, and Windows Meida Audio. Additionally, it supports Audible files for digital audiobooks and functions with subscription services like Rhapsody To Go, Napster, and Emusic.

It is scheduled for release in the early part of next month.