Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 Pro Reviews

The Samsung Galaxy Player has two distinct advantages over the iPod touch: its wide file support, and its expandable storage. Those are important features, and they might win some users, but they’re not enough to overtake the iPod. The iPod has access to more and better apps, it’s easier to sync and manage on your computer, and most importantly it’s just a better music player. Plus, when you can walk into a Boost Mobile store and buy the ZTE Warp phone for only $50 more, I’m not sure why you’d want the Galaxy Player. We’ve waited a long time for “the iPod touch for Android,” but if this is it I’m not sure that’s a very exciting concept.

As an iPod Touch alternative, the Galaxy Player 5.0 offers much to like--especially if you are already familiar with Android and have invested money in the ecosystem. Audio playback through the stock Samsung music app is of poor quality, but the Android advantage means that you have the ability to choose third-party player options from the Android Market. If you are looking for a taste of Android without the cost of cellular service, the Galaxy Player 5.0 is a good Android device to tinker with.

As an iPod touch alternative, the Galaxy Player 5 offers much to like - especially if you are already familiar with Android and have invested money in the ecosystem. Audio playback through the stock Samsung music app is of poor quality, but the Android advantage means that you have the ability to choose third-party player options from the Android Market. If you are looking for a taste of Android without the cost of cellular service, the Galaxy Player 5 is a good Android device to tinker with.

There's one important quality about the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 that needs to be noted. That's price. At $230 for the 4 inch model and $270 for the 5 inch model I've reviewed here, the Galaxy Player might not seem to be that great a deal compared to a comparable smartphone priced at $200 or under. That's deceptive, however, since smartphones also come with the requirement for a data plan. The "total cost of ownership" of that $200 smartphone is the original $200 plus a $30 per month data plan for a minimum of two years. Add it all up, and that's $920 that you're committing to by buying a smartphone. While many find that a worthwhile tradeoff, the Galaxy Player offers the option of smartphone-like features without the same price tag, perfect for those who don't need Internet on the go that much, or as a "starter" device for someone who doesn't need a phone. For what it's intended for, the Galaxy Player 5.0 is a good device. It's a viable alternative to an Apple iPod touch for those who prefer Android, and a viable alternative to a smartphone without the cost commitment of a data plan. Unfortunately, Samsung missed the opportunities to make it a great device. More memory, HDMI out, and an AMOLED screen would have resulted in a better, lighter, and more impressive device that could really one up the iPods.

The Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 is like a decent smartphone for anyone that doesn’t want to be saddled with a data plan. Or to put it another way, it’s like an iPod touch for anyone that’s not interested in buying an Apple product. It’s the PDA evolved. While there have been other Android devices that have attempted to fill this niche, the Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0 are the first devices to do it well. The Galaxy Player 5.0 isn’t a perfect device. The screen viewing angles could be better, the display could be sharper, and at times I feel like a 5 inch tablet is too big for one-handed use. If you don’t need the extra battery life provided by the 2500mAh battery, I’d say you should just save $40 and pick up the 4 inch model if you’re interested in a Galaxy Player. But battery life is important in a mobile device — especially one without a user replaceable battery. The biggest challenge the Galaxy Player line of devices faces isn’t from Apple or smartphones though. It’s from new low-cost tablets such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet.

The Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 is a tough sell. If you're looking for a fun, pocketable, kid-friendly media player with a glut of games and apps, the $199 iPod Touch is a slam dunk. If you have an axe to grind with Apple, 7-inch tablets like the Amazon Kindle Fire or Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet offer more media bang for your buck.

This review is just one part of a series we’re doing on this device as part of our new initiative to give you a better look at the value of a reviewed product as compared to its competition. The devices we’ll be looking at have been listed in this review earlier, those being the Samsung Galaxy S II, the Samsung Stratosphere, the Apple iPod Touch, and of course the Galaxy Note. As a preview, know this: if you’ve ever used a smartphone before and expect to switch to this device, you’ll feel as though you’re using an oversized handset as opposed to a tiny tablet.