64GB Zune HD launching April 12th for $350, current models reduced $20
By Ross Miller 
posted March 31st 2010 12:00PM
posted March 31st 2010 12:00PM
We're excited to share that Zune fans will be able to purchase a new 64GB capacity of the popular Zune HD device for $349.99 starting April 12th through ZuneOriginals.com. By increasing the Zune HD capacity to 64GB, users will be able take up to 16,000 songs, or 20 hours of high definition video from Zune Marketplace, or 25,000 pictures* on the go! Customers will be able to customize their Zune HD 64GB through ZuneOrginals.com, available in their choice of Platinum, Black, Blue, Red, Green, Purple and Magenta colors.
In addition to introducing the new 64GB capacity, we are also reducing the prices of the 16GB and 32GB devices. Starting today, price lists are being distributed to retailers, setting the Estimated Retail Price (ERP) for the Zune 16GB device at $199.99 and the Zune HD 32GB device at $269.99.
With its OLED multi-touch screen, built-in HD radio, HD video out capabilities and Internet browser, Zune HD is a full-function media player which has received accolades from press and consumers. We've also announced details of an upcoming firmware update which will add even more features to the device, such as Smart DJ auto-playlists directly on the Zune HD, ability to browse, stream and acquire music from Zune Marketplace on your TV (while the device is connected to a TV set through the A/V dock) and expanded codec support allowing users to play more video formats natively from the device.
We are excited to be offering a great range of storage capacities for the Zune HD at a competitive price point and will be sharing more news on the availability of the 4.5 firmware in the coming days.
*Music estimates based on 128 Kbps WMA files with length of 4 minutes each. Pictures transferred to Zune will be optimized for Zune screen size; video estimates based on 500 Kbps WMV files with 128 Kbps WMA audio tracks.
In addition to introducing the new 64GB capacity, we are also reducing the prices of the 16GB and 32GB devices. Starting today, price lists are being distributed to retailers, setting the Estimated Retail Price (ERP) for the Zune 16GB device at $199.99 and the Zune HD 32GB device at $269.99.
With its OLED multi-touch screen, built-in HD radio, HD video out capabilities and Internet browser, Zune HD is a full-function media player which has received accolades from press and consumers. We've also announced details of an upcoming firmware update which will add even more features to the device, such as Smart DJ auto-playlists directly on the Zune HD, ability to browse, stream and acquire music from Zune Marketplace on your TV (while the device is connected to a TV set through the A/V dock) and expanded codec support allowing users to play more video formats natively from the device.
We are excited to be offering a great range of storage capacities for the Zune HD at a competitive price point and will be sharing more news on the availability of the 4.5 firmware in the coming days.
*Music estimates based on 128 Kbps WMA files with length of 4 minutes each. Pictures transferred to Zune will be optimized for Zune screen size; video estimates based on 500 Kbps WMV files with 128 Kbps WMA audio tracks.
With the $20 I save, I can buy some apps.
Oh wait.
i don't see what you did there.
explain?
@Aaquibn ZING!!!
@cheami90
There needs to be apps available for me to buy them.
@Aaquibn
go on...?
@cheami90
if you don't get it by now then heaven help you.
@cheami90
basically, they're all (and by all i mean 17 of them) free... so he can't buy any.
@cheami90
Seriously? GTFO
@Aaquibn
I don't get it... Can't your phone already do that?
like a boss.
@cheami90 ^ Epic win for that. +1. I lol'd hard just imaging the song.
@AaquibnYou mean Zune does not have many apps? Lol
@Aaquibn
The Zune is a sweet piece of hardware, but the lack of a great ecosystem makes this not worth it for me.
@PastorTom The Zune isn't meant to be a computer. It is a media player. It plays music and videos and does it extremely well. Just because something doesn't copy every feature of the iPod touch doesn't mean that it doesn't have a place in the market. I have a phone that can handle all of my app needs. I like to keep the 2 separate as I don't want my phone to be dead halfway through the day because I was listening to music.
I love my HD, but I WANT MORE APPS.
@cheami90
Yep. Now, if only it could make reliable calls.
@steel
See WPS7.
@MONKEY I have apps on my iPhone. Lots of 'em. Super over-rated. You know what "app" I use on my phone most? The Dialer. It's awesome.
@steel That's outrageous. The iPhone can't even do that!
@iLi3kTuttles You mean 'your iPhone can't do that' because I have zero issues with my iPhone's call quality. But I'd venture to say you're a troll and don't actually own an iPhone and instead are just ignorantly rehashing a few issues off as a product wide bug.
@jackcrack7
FINALLY
SOMEONE gets it!
@Aaquibn
Maybe I can buy one in Canada.
Nope prolly not. I work at a electronics retailer and us Canadians are pretty slow at getting electronics. We just got Archos internet tablets in (only because I special ordered them)
@MONKEY
Meh I aint to bothered about a fart button.
Theres a few people livin outside of U.S too... Microsoft, how about an international version?
@jackcrack7
exactly. i love my Zune 80. the sound quality is top notch and i love the interface. only reason i haven't upgraded to the ZuneHD is because i didn't want to downgrade my storage space but this is getting closer. even if i get a WP7S phone, i'll probably still buy a Zune mostly for the battery reasons. i mean my TP2 can play music (and pretty well too) but that battery would be drained in no time. just because a device CAN do something, doesn't mean it SHOULD.
I liked the Zune HD at first, but it just seemed to get less and less appealing.
@Widgetech
do you own one? because i haven't found that to be the case with mine..
@Wildman same i use mine all teh time the unlimited music is awesome
@Widgetech
Yeah, and why would anyone buy a ZuneHD when Microsoft has already made it clear that it won't be compatible with the Series 7 based ZuneHD 2.
This is just stupid of Microsoft. Other companies don't even really have to compete with Microsoft these days, they just do it to themselves.
@Peter Church What the hell are you going on about?
@Widgetech I don't think anyone should buy a Zune HD now... Zune HD2 with WinPho7 will be amazing though.
@Widgetech
I actually agree, but I've used the Zune HD on several occasions. I hate that you need to look at it to change the volume, and it needs to be more sensitive to swiping to different songs. Also I've always hated how the Zune's shuffle. I've owned nearly every type of Zune and have always disliked this about them.
@Peter Church
Source for your accusations or shut the fuck up, honestly. One of the things they've been banging home CONSTANTLY during MIX was how you'd be able to use ~90% of the same code to port the games and apps from WP7S, to the PC, to the Xbox, and to the Zune.
@Peter Church That's not the case listen to zune Inside podcast. ep 59 or 60, games and apps are easy to port over.
@Prevacator
He's absolutely right, see here:
http://gizmodo.com/5489587/zune-hd2-will-be-like-ipod-touch-for-windows-phone-7-read-apps-also-zune-hd-is-for-suckers
Zune HD is suddenly obsolete. Which makes me sad, but it's true. Maybe you start cursing AFTER looking into the issue.
@Peter Church Some people like to have a PMP separate from their phones. I know plenty of iPhone users that also own an iPod or iPod Touch.
@MrAkash
Read the first reply, from Dave (an MS employee who frequently speaks on Zune related issues). The entirety of that article is a pure fabrication based on what Sally told Jim in a dark alleyway 3 weeks ago.
Also, to the Zune HD not having an App marketplace, anyone who purchases a device based on what the rumors say may be happening to it in the future is an utter fool. The Zune HD is the best PMP I've ever owned or used. Whatever development direction Microsoft takes with regard to future products isn't going to make my Zune HD any less awesome.
@Wildman
I actually bought a zune before my iPod touch. Problem was that all our cars were pre wired for the iPod- play and charge and control. Couldn't do that with the zune. Also iPod was easier to download movies and games... comes in handy when you have a 3 year old!
My guess is that for most people an iPod is more convenient than a zune. That's if people like me are the majority :)
@Delta I owned a Zune HD as well and agree it's the best PMP I've ever had. But I'm not going to keep a product that has been rendered obsolete. I'm willing to bet money that WP7 and Zune HD2 apps aren't compatible with Zune HD. Microsoft has proven it's very willing to drop it's own product and move on, I'm looking at you, PlaysForSure.
@MrAkash Apps aren't super important to me for my PMP. That's what my phone is for. The last thing I want to do is run my PMP's battery into the ground messing with an app when I can't necessarily charge it on the go like my phone (not gonna fork out money for a PMP car charger).
I still don't understand why people are calling the device obsolete. It never really got much support to begin with, but has always excelled at doing what it does. It will continue to excel at what it does even after the HD2 comes out, but I'll be fine just getting a WP7S device to fulfill that void.
@MrAkash Actually, you are way off. The updates that they are releasing with the upcoming 4.5 (including the Smart DJ functionality you are looking for built into the Zune itself) are meant to be compatible with the codecs of the upcoming WP7 Series and HD2 devices. The apps that they are going to be releasing for those devices will indeed be compatible with the current HD line.
Am I unhappy with the support (or lack thereof) for HD up until now by Microsoft? Yeah sure. I wish that it had more exposure outside of the US - I never understood that and wish it were explained to us. But it looks like "...the times they are a-changing..." and once the new HD2 comes to stores I'll be putting my HD on Craigslist and putting it towards a HD2. Why if the apps are backwards compatible?
I can't help myself. I like shiny black aluminum electronic gadgets.
@kstagg I will bet any of you that Zune HD will not be compatible with WPS7 Apps. What don't people understand about the fact that it doesn't meet the minimum hardware specs? I mean, they won't even upgrade the HTC HD2...
As for the guy from Microsoft, nothing he said pointed to the fact that you'll be getting apps. He's just trying to walk back the comments that made everyone decide they were gonna wait for Zune HD2.
Only time will tell, but you're welcome to bookmark this comment and make me eat my words.
@Tiptup300 Wrong; you don't need to look at the screen to change the volume.
Since volume changing is strictly relegated to vertical motion, it doesn't matter where on the screen you swipe up and down.
Same goes for song changing.
@MrAkash
Gizmodo is a terrible gadget blog. Engadget > Gizmodo
Now people will want a 128GB Zune HD. It never ends.
@soren121
i wouldn't mind. i'd actually be able to fit all my music...
@soren121
I hope they come out with one eventually, or else I'll have to settle for the old Zune 120 when my 80 GB runs out of storage..
@soren121
It ends when they decide to put an SD card slot in it so that we can expand our own storage.
@soren121 Nah, I can get by with a 32GB for $110 less from Newegg.
@soren121
I'm good with a 64GB model, now if only they would add FLAC support.