Samsung Galaxy Player 3.6 Pro Reviews

The Samsung Galaxy Player 3.6 is a good example of a dirt-cheap device that plays to a specific market well. I think it will particularly be embraced by parents whose kids want a smartphone but aren't old enough for it, and as a good mobile media player by people who also want to play a few games or check the headlines cheaply. Those looking for a little more would do well to wait and see how the upcoming Galaxy Player 4.2 fares with a larger, better screen.

Samsung's Galaxy player 3.6 provides a lower-priced, Android-powered alternative to the iPod Touch, but its screen and audio quality come up short.

The Galaxy S 3.6's affordable price tag makes it a tempting choice if you're looking for an Android-based alternative to the iPod Touch, but the poor screen and subpar audio quality would cause me to think twice before opening my wallet.

Here’s the deal. Even though the Samsung Galaxy Player 3.6 might seem like a valuable media player at $149.99, we’re a little hesitant about it because you can actually pick up some prepaid basic Android smartphones for around the same price. On top of that, it’s even possible to even find the original Samsung Galaxy S at or near the same price point, which makes it a better buy considering the superior hardware it’s packing. Some uninformed consumers might take notice since it’s priced less than its primary competitor in the iPod Touch, but seriously, you’re still better off looking into buying a prepaid Android smartphone.

This device is not an iPod touch competitor. Instead it’s Samsung’s effort to bring their user interface and media-controlling prowess to the non-mobile smart device world. You’ve got no mobile data, but the rest of the Android fun is all here – and at $149.99 (in stores now) you might not be able to resist such a relatively inexpensive fun machine. Should you also have a smartphone on hand – especially if it’s one so gigantic as the Galaxy Note, for example, this device will act as your everyday connection if you plan on leaving that beast in your backpack – connect it! Is this device worth the cost? If you’ve not already got a similar device on hand – yes it certainly is. You can use this device essentially as a smartphone everywhere there’s a Wi-fi connection, and given Android’s ability to be hacked and modified from here to outer space, you’ll have the experience you want whenever you want. Put all your music on here, your videos galore, and connect to your HDTV and Bluetooth stereo for an awesome time had by all.

So far, the Galaxy Player 3.6 is my favorite of the entire Galaxy Player line. Its price shows an appropriate amount of humility in the face of the iPod Touch. Its audio quality and hardware features are just what they should be. The Android experience isn't hobbled or twisted. If it weren't for the mediocre screen and camera quality, I would hold this up as the iPod Touch alternative that Android fans have been waiting for. But it's not quite there yet. That said, as the street price for Player 3.6 starts to dip down toward $99, I'm happy to call this the best iPod Touch alternative worth settling for.

A budget smartphone without the phone, this low-cost media player should appeal to casual gamers and music listeners.