Strike a pose: The Creative Zen X-Fi bares all for the camera

(Credit: CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze)

After much anticipation, we've finally gotten our greedy little hands on the Creative Zen X-Fi. While we put the player through its paces for the in-depth review, we thought you'd appreciate a closer look. One thing we can tell you right off the bat: the Zen X-Fi is an incredible value given all the features, but we're a bit disappointed that it's encased in plastic rather than metal. The slideshow has more gory details, but here are some highlights to get you started:

• Alluring price tag: The Zen X-Fi is priced to sell, with the 16GB going for $199 and the 32GB offered at $279--about half the price of the iPod Touch. There's also an 8GB for $149, but it doesn't include Wi-Fi.
• Questionable construction: We think we've figured out where Creative might have cut corners to get that pricing out the door. During early testing, we have experienced issues with the faceplate sticking out from the bottom of the player.
• Quality earbuds: The 16GB and 32GB versions of the Zen X-Fi come with Creative's new EP-830 earphones, a $50 value on their own.
• Features, features, features: The player includes the typical array of features found in the Zen line, but adds X-Fi audio enhancement options and wireless capability. It's the first MP3 player we've seen that lets you create a chat avatar on the device itself.