Zune HD vs iPod Touch review and comparison

The new Zune HD was released today and it comes packed with quite a bit. It looks like Microsoft is hell bent on competing against Apple in the MP3 player department and the Zune HD device is their answer for the iPod Touch. The Zune HD has quite a few areas that makes it a lot more desirable than the iPod Touch.  Let’s go through them!

Size: The first thing you will notice is that the Zune HD is smaller than the iPod Touch. The size is nothing significant but it may be just enough to fit your pocket a little better. The screen size of the Zune does suffer a little however as the iPod Touch has a screen size of 3.5′ while the Zune has a screen size of 3.3′. All in all however, as much as we love the smaller design of the Zune and the more ergonomic design philosophy, the iPod Touch is still better due to its slightly larger screen size. Although the iPod Touch is bigger than the Zune, it is not so much that it becomes an inconvenience. It should be noted that the iPod Touch also has a higher resolution screen of 480 x 320 as opposed to the Zune HD’s 480 x 272.

Price: If you’re looking for more bang for your buck, the Zune is definitely the way to go. At $219.99 for the 16GB model, it is only a little more expensive than the 8GB iPod Touch priced at $199. The 32GB is at $289 which is still cheaper than the 32GB iPod Touch which is at $299. For the savings, you get practically everything the iPod can do plus HD radio and 720P HD video output. The Zune is the clear winner in this category!

Screen/battery: We’ve already mentioned that the Zune has a slightly smaller screen due to its smaller overall size. What we didn’t mention however is that the Zune screen is an OLED screen giving it a longer battery life. When it comes to video playback, the Zune can play for up to 8.5 hours on a single charge which is significantly higher than the iPod Touch’s 6 hours. The Zune’s capacitive screen is quite sensitive although it doesn’t feel quite as refined as the iPod Touch screen, it’s hardly worth complaining about especially given the fact that it is one of the only portable products out there with an OLED screen. The Zune is the clear winner when taking into account battery life even if the iPod Touch does have a slightly larger screen.

Hardware Specs: From a hardware standpoint, the Zune HD has a Nvidia Tegra processor with an ARM 800 MHZ CPU. The Tegra CPU has meant longer battery life despite a weaker battery than the iPod Touch’s. While the new iPod Touch 3rd Gen supports 802.11n the Zune HD still has an 802.11g. When it comes to raw processing power, the Zune HD’s ARM 800MHZ processor has the iPod Touch beat although not by much. The iPod Touch also carries with it an ARM 833 MHZ battery however it is underclocked to about 600 MHZ. You won’t really feel the differences between the device’s hardware until you start running demanding apps however and right now the Zune is still very limited in app selection. We’ve come to the conclusion that it is a tie here while the iPod Touch has a more powerful GPU, it has a slower CPU.

Software: The Zune OS is actually a modified version of Windows Mobile which hasn’t exactly had the critics very excited. The iPod Touch’s OS is the same as the iPhone’s and after several patches it is operating pretty smoothly. The poor reputation of the Windows Mobile platform coupled with the mass availability of the iPod Touch and the iPhone means that most developers would prefer to develop for the iPod Touch rather than the Zune. Sure the Zune may get a few apps that are worthwhile but the iPod Touch will definitely have many more.

Final Impressions: Our impressions of the Zune HD were mixed. At first glance, we were very impressed by the device and it seemed to have everything that the iPod Touch doesn’t. What all this boils down to however are a few key points to consider in getting the Zune HD or the iPod Touch. The Zune HD has HD radio which isn’t very widespread yet however it does have a radio which the iPod Touch doesn’t. HD video output at 720P would probably be the main reason we would choose the Zune over the iPod Touch however you must ask yourself how often you will be asked to connect to an HDTV and play a movie. Also, you will have to pay extra for a dock if you want the HD video output… The iPod Touch hogs up power at a faster rate as well and that could leave the Zune HD another 2.5 hours after the iPod Touch has completely run out and that is more than enough time for another movie. When it came to the screens however, the iPod Touch was the clear winner as it was both bigger and more vibrant than the Zune’s screen. With the glare of the sun, the iPod Touch looked much better than the Zune and was easier to read. Pricing wise however, you would get a lot more storage capacity and functionality for the Zune. Last but not least, software on the Zune is still rather limited and it could be a gamble to assume that the Zune will eventually get great apps like those available on the iPhone and iPod Touch already. The market simply may not be there. If you’re looking for the safe bet, you should definitely stick to the iPod Touch as you are guranteed a host of great software which should make up for any deficiencies. The Zune’s strengths while significant, don’t really make up for the app store. If you’re looking for a straight MP3 player, get a SANSA!

BTW please share your opinions although let’s try to keep it civil (I know this is the internet but any troll comments will simply get deleted)

-Derek