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The revelation comes in an email to the Whizbyte blog from Microsoft's US public relations department, which outlines plans for the second generation of the devices.

The company plans to release new "sizes, styles and price points" with the second generation, which will be released later this year. The player is currently limited to a single box-shaped design that comes in five different colours, with a capacity of 30GB.

The email also claims the device will "move towards parity with iPod" by increasing its

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support for video - presumably new formats - and podcasting.

Most interestingly for British buyers, the company says it will also sell the new devices beyond the US, "but only when we can ensure an offering which is tailored to that market."

When asked to confirm whether there were plans for a UK launch, a Microsoft UK spokesman told us: "We are working hard to launch Zune in other markets, and Europe is a top priority for us. We will launch in Europe once we can ensure that consumers have a high-quality Zune experience straightaway, and that means having the right breadth and depth of content available from day-one. We're working with all the major players in European music to ensure Zune comes to the region with a great array of content for all audiences."

The US Microsoft representative also claims that older Zunes will be brought up-to-date with a firmware overhaul, in another pointed dig at the iPod.

However, with Microsoft last week confirming that the Zune had just passed the million unit mark, it's got a long way to go before it can match the iPod's success.

Click here to read our review of the orginal Zune