Update: All right, Zol just updated their site to include live photos of the ManMan A1. It’s already priced at 269 yuan ($39) for the 2GB version and 299 yuan ($44) for the 4GB.

We’ve been waiting for Newsmy’s ManMan A1 iPod Nano or iRiver E100 competition ever since it was announced over a month ago. Obviously it’s not picking a fight with iPod Nano 4G but with the earlier 3G Nano or phatty version. But not so fast. Look at these specs:

• 79mm × 52mm × 6mm or thinner by .02mm than the current iPod Nano*
• 3-inch 320 x 240 pixel screen with Smart Touch 3.0* technology, whatever it is.
• video support for RM, RMVB, AVI, FLV, WMV, MPG, DAT, 3GP, MP4, ASF
• Microsoft PlayFX enhanced audio
  
• classic gaming like Tetris

The price of the ManMan A1 is unknown for now but I imagine it’s going to be cheaper than the Nano. See above.

Note: before the photo render above fools you, the A1 is much a smaller player and real photos of the player hardware should not look so threateningly massive beside a glass bowl of peaches.

*Here’s an explanation from the official specifications list (side view of the A1. Really thinner than Nano?):

New SmartTouch 3.0 smart operating system to support video breakpoint memory function, at any time to play Record your progress to support multi-mission operations, listen to music at the same time, can also browse pictures or reading e-books, many realize one machine time with backlight and automatic clearance lights Time Machine and many other human settings, can help you save electricity to support the firmware upgrade, realize the functions of the local expansion, so that you enjoy this product free of value-added services can be set using the lock-time temperature: 0-45 degrees Celsius.

[via zol]