SanDisk Introduces Sansa Fuze Media Players

SanDisk's new Sansa Fuze media players are gunning for the iPod nano, with a 1.9-inch color screen, microSD slot, FM radio, and a starting price of just $79.

SanDisk is gunning for the Apple iPod line again, this time taking on the video-capable iPod nano with its new Sansa Fuze line of portable media players. The Sansa Fuze players sport a 1.9-inch color screen, capacities of 2, 4, and 8 GB of flash memory, a microSD slot that enables users to expand storage…and they start at just $79.

“The Sansa Fuze is an eye-catching player that consumers will enjoy for its looks, capabilities and incredible value,” said SanDisk’s VP of Sansa product marketing Eric Bone, in a statement. “This new MP3 player combines some of the best features found on other Sansa products, including great sound quality. It’s yet another strong offering by SanDisk in the sub-$150 music player market.”

The new Sansa Fuze supports MP3, WAV, WMA audio, and Audible audio books, along with MPEG-4 video and JPEG photos; the player can be used with PlaysForSure services like Rhapsody To Go, Napster, eMusic, and others (although, as usual, it does not support protected music purchased from iTunes, and also doesn’t support AAC music formats). The internal battery will handle up to 24 hours of audio playback and five hours of video between charges, and the unit supports a voice recorder for taking notes or catching that little bit of must-have conversation. Users who get tired of their own audio and video libraries can also get some old-school entertainment via an integrated FM tuner.

The Sansa Fuze will be available in 2, 4, and 8 GB capacities and five colors (black, silver, blue, red, and pink) beginning in April. The 2 GB edition will carry a suggested price off $79.99, with the 4 and 8 GB models going for $99.99 and $129.99, respectively. They should land in U.S. retailers this April, with availability in Europe and Canada later “this spring.”