Creative’s Zen X-Fi to Enter Ring Dominated by iPod Touch, Zune

New details have been leaked about Creative’s answer to the iPod touch and Zune, a wireless music player with Wi-Fi media sharing capabilities called the Zen X-Fi. Pictures show the device sporting a chrome-and-black plastic look that’s vaguely reminiscent of the iPhone, along with a nine-point directional pad. Besides certain Internet features, X-Fi will also come with an SD card slot and a built-in speaker.

According to leaked specs, the nine-point pad will offer users the option of instant messaging on Windows Live or Yahoo Messenger in a phone-style typing schema. The device will also use wireless to share media between home networked computers and access an Internet-based media pool, called a Public Home Server.

The player is named after Creative’s X-Fi audio technology, which restores lost data in compressed music files to create concert-like audio effects. Users can turn to two X-Fi options–Crystalizer makes audio richer and clearer, and Expand repositions the music to sound like it’s coming from in front of you, simulating listening to a live performance on stage. Check out the manual:

[epiZENter]