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Samsung Galaxy Player 50 Android PMP

Smartphone sans phone?

Review As a connected multi-function media player, Apple's iPod Touch has never had much in the way of competition. But that is changing. Archos has already launched an interesting looking range of Android mini tablets-cum-media players, including the impressive Archos 43, and now Samsung has today released the Galaxy Player 50.

It's a bit like a Galaxy Apollo smartphone but without the ability to make and take calls.

Samsung Galaxy Player 50

Samsung's Galaxy Player 50: smartphone sans phone

I have to say straight away that fitting a pocket video player with a 3.2in, 240 x 400 screen doesn't seem a hugely clever idea. Yes, the display is clear and bright, and supports content resolutions of up to 720p, but for serious video playback it's just too small in this day of 3.7in and 4.3in smartphone screens.

I'm also not that struck by the Galaxy Player's looks. The ridge around the faceplate makes it look cheap, but at £150 it's not an inexpensive product. And being made entirely of plastic, it doesn't need any help in this area.

The design has a few foibles too. For instance, the power key on the right and the volume controls on the left are directly opposite each other, so every time I held the device to turn it on or off, I inadvertently ended up changing the volume to either silent or deafening.

Samsung Galaxy Player 50

Bundled: among the best MP3 player earphones around

On the subject of turning it on and off, my review unit - a pre-production model, I must admit - took over 30 seconds to start up. That's way too long.

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