Samsung Chases iPod Left Overs

Samsung has used the IFA trade show in Berlin to roll out a pair of new MP3 players that include its first model with iPhone-like “motion user interface.”

The Korean company which already has an excellent reputation for high quality portable music players is set to make a grab for the lions share of the portable music market not held by Apple. 

Click to enlarge

The motion-UI model, the flash-memory YP-P2 in 4GB and 8GB variations, is also the company’s first video-playing MP3 player with widescreen display and its first with the ability to reorient video for horizontal or vertical viewing.

The YP-P2 and the 4GB YP-T10 both feature Bluetooth 2.0 to enable multiple Bluetooth-equipped headphones to listen to the music. Prices were unavailable.

The 3-ounce P2 features a 3-inch 16:9 widescreen touchscreen that displays 30 fps video and features motion UI for all navigation functions. Hard buttons on the side of the player are used for power, volume and hold functions. The screen’s resolution is 480 by 272 (WQVGA).

The 3.9-inch by 2.1-inch by 0.4-inch device plays MP3 and protected WMA files and is compatible with WMA subscription downloads. It plays video in the Windows Media Video 9 (WMV9) and MPEG-4 formats. Other feature include FM radio, JPEG viewer, voice recording, sleep timer and lithium-polymer batter that plays up to 35 hours of music or up to five hours of video. Bluetooth 2.0 enables up to three Bluetooth headphones simultaneously reproduce the P2’s audio.

The P2 is available is black, wine red or white.

The YP-T10 with 2-inch 4:3 screen and 4GB embedded memory plays audio and video in the same formats as the P2 but weighs only 1.5 ounces. Its battery delivers slightly less playback time of up to 30 hours of music or up to four hours of video. Its Bluetooth 2.0 lets only two Bluetooth headphones simultaneously reproduce the T10’s audio.

The T10 also includes FM tuner, JPEG viewer and voice recording but no sleep timer.