The 5-inch is one of the largest Android media players available. The Galaxy Player 5.0 also has a 1GHz processor (but 512MB of RAM), 8GB of storage, and a microSD slot to expand storage. However, Samsung may have priced itself out of the market--the Galaxy Player 5.0 retails for $270, and its display, which is 800 by 480 pixels, is lower in resolution than that of the iPod Touch.

Sony's newest entry into the media player market, the NW-Z1000 Walkman, is expected to be available in December. It's got some impressive specs, though--the Z Series has a 4.3-inch (800 by 480 pixel) screen, 512MB of RAM, a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, runs the runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and a minimum of 16GB of storage. However, it's the most expensive competitor on this list: $365 for 16GB and the 32GB for $560.

Finally, a device that beats the iPod Touch's specs across the board: the HTC Beat. According to , the device will ship with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch LCD screen, 1GB of RAM, and a 12-megapixel camera. We don't yet know what how much the Beat will cost, but who doesn't want a better processor, bigger screen, and sharper camera?

The rumored Beat may be the best bet for "beating" the iPod Touch, but at the moment no company has taken advantage of the opportunity Apple provided by not upgrading the iPod Touch's specs this year.

Apple may dominate the music-player market, but a new generation of Android media players is trying to challenge that. Who knows, maybe these devices have a shot. iPod sales were year-over-year last quarter -- the sharpest decline yet. Although Apple doesn't break down iPod sales by device.