After initially being a little Sneaky McSecretive about its upcoming MP3 players, Samsung has officially announced the S2 Pebble, a screenless critter that retails for under AU$50.
Upside
The most obvious upside to this pebbly 2GB player is the bargain basement price. At $49, it's around the same street price as the similarly screenless 1GB Creative Zen Stone — or $40 cheaper than the 2GB iPod Shuffle.
As for the design, while the metallic purple, red and black finishes may be a little flashy for some tastes, the controls are nice and big, and the smooth circular shape is pleasing to palms.
The S2's compatibility with MP3, OGG and WMA formats is pretty standard, but the drag-and-drop music management is a decent feature for those sick of dealing with restrictive software.
Downside
The iPod Shuffle confirmed that there is still a market for screenless MP3 players, but the pendant design of the Pebble is not as sport-friendly as the clippable Apple contraption. With joggers and gym goers making up a sizable portion of the Shuffle's devotees, this could be a problem for Samsung.
The lanyard-style earphones could be a blessing or a curse, depending on whether you like to sport your tech around your neck like a trinket. Generally we're not fans of the lanyard look — having an MP3 player thwap against your sternum when you run for a bus is a bit of a grind.
Outlook
The Pebble seems best suited to younger music lovers. With its flashing lights, pendant style and shiny coating, it's an object that seems fit to adorn the neck of a tyke rather than an adult.
We'll be getting the Pebble in for a full review in the coming weeks, so check back for the hands-on evaluation.
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andsilenceismine
04/08/2008, 08:42 PM
rating
9/10
i just bought the pebble last week and i must say that its really good
Pros: its sleak and minimalistic design is very appealing as well as its round shape, which seems to agree with my palm quite well
also its a big hit with my friends!
Cons: the software takes a while to get used to and the whole 'all repeat mode' to 'shuffle mode' to 'playlist mode', coupled with the flashing led light can get a litle confusing...
but apart from that, i think the pebble is a more than adequate when it comes to mp3 players, as well as its very low price ($47 at big w), im sure it will send shockwaves through the seemingly endless pond of mp3 players out there...
watch out ipod!
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ElaineElectro
10/07/2008, 01:56 AM
rating
9/10
its so freakin beautiful and the sound is superbly crystal clear
Pros: Smart Button
Super Stylish Design
Very Affordable to Almost Everyone
Cons: Necklace Style Earphones
Tendecy of It Getting Lost
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