Zune Battery Life Revealed at 12 Hrs Music and 3.5 for Video

Poor Microsoft, just when they were about to unveil the Zune and all its glory last week, when Apple trampled all over it.  Its possible Microsoft withheld the battery info due to the announcement that Apple’s 30GB iPod is now getting 14 hours of music and 4 hours of video playback.  The Zune is reported to come in short at 12 hours for music and 3.5 hours for video.  It’s possible that WiFi plays a part in the shorter battery life.  These numbers are still a lot better than I’d anticipated given the bigger LCD screen and WiFi.  The final dagger to Microsoft’s gut was Apple’s announcement of the new 80GB model with 20-hour battery life for music and 6 for video.  Ouch.  What will Microsoft do?  Is it too late in the game for Microsoft to score a new battery deal before releasing the Zune to market?

Zune battery life: 12 hours music, 3.5 hours video [Via Gadgetell]