Samsung YP-P2

This is a guest post by David Luu, reviewer at Overclockers Online

Today, Samsung is one of the world’s leaders in the field of electronics. Founded in 1938, they have built quite a reputation and earned the trust of its followers, especially in the realms of mobile phones, displays, audio players and house hold appliances. We have taken a look at quite a number of Samsung products in the past, including a whole slew of MP3 players, and today we are going to take a look at another, Samsung’s new P2 equipped with an enormous touch screen.

Digital audio players have forged themselves a spot in everyday life, their integration is seamless. Last year we took a look at Samsung’s K5 sporting built in speakers and O-LED touch pad, a great audio player, but we just can’t help but have high hopes for today’s P2! The P2 is Samsung’s entry into the touch screen audio player market, but will it be able to outshine Apple’s already famed iTouch? Read on to find out!

Package

The P2 comes shipped in a hard clamshell package, a practical choice!

The side of the package shows various features of the P2, such as video, pictures, Bluetooth, and pictures.
The back of the package shows the specifications of the P2, which is explained in more detail on the specifications page. Included are the player itself, headphones, USB cable, installation CD, and a desktop stand. The included earphones are the same headphones previously packaged with all other Samsung mp3 players with the exception of the K5. The K5′s earphones have an in-ear design while the P2 has a more generic design.Before we take a closer look at the P2, let’s go over the specifications of the player.

Specifications

Here are some of the features listed on the Samsung website:

The resolution of the P2 is 480 x 272, the same resolution that the Playstation PSP features. The ratio of the screen is also a widescreen 16:9 format, which is the ratio most movies use. By using a Lithium Polymer battery, the P2 seems to have very impressive battery life, with 35 hours of audio playback time, and 5 hours of video. Another thing to note about the P2 is Bluetooth compatibility. This allows for the use of two wireless Bluetooth headsets, as well as connectivity to a mobile phone.Now that we have had a taste of the P2 on paper, let’s take a look at the real thing.

Layout

There is a slight resemblance of the iTouch with the P2, but the P2 is much smaller in size.

In terms of styling, the P2 is sleek, minimal in design and is drop- dead gorgeous. The player is incredibly thin, with sparse, well hidden buttons. Underneath the screen, contrary to first impressions, the circle is not a button, but instead a LED indicator. The backside of the P2 has a reset button as well as various markings. The P2 is made with magnesium alloy which gives the player a very smooth solid feel. The bottom of the player there is the headphone jack as well as the USB port. The type of USB port is the same across many Samsung audio players. On the left side of the player, you will find the hold switch, as well as the play/pause button. This button is also used to turn the P2 on and off. The volume buttons are on the right side of the P2.Now that the P2 has been thoroughly examined, let’s move onto the installation.

Installation

Upon putting in the included CD, auto-play will automatically give you this screen. Hitting the install button will quickly set up the media application. After opening the application, you will see its resemblance to the system that Apple uses, iTunes. Although it is a hassle, as you have to use this program to upload songs as the player is not a plug-and-play type device. On this program, you can add songs, organize them, and play them on the computer. Upon plugging in the P2, the program will automatically detect it, and then it will list the contents that are currently in the player. You can then create folders, delete songs, upload songs, etc. while the player is charging. Uploading videos take up a large amount of time due to the size conversion.Now that the P2 is set up and ready to go, let’s finally turn it on and have a look.

Interface

Since the interface of the Samsung P2 is very detailed, a video walk-through was prepared to fully explain the P2′s interface.

Now that the P2 has been fully examined, let’s give it an evaluation.

Field Testing and Ergonomics

Over the course of four weeks on the street, the P2 has become a key component of daily life. Whether it’s on the streetcar, subway, or treadmill, watching videos on the P2 is very enjoyable thanks to its resolution, colour, and fast frame-rate. The LCD screen is nice and bright, and the buttons are clearly defined. The screen is very resistant to scratching, as after many cycles of moving in and out of a jean pocket, no marks are visible. It is also very easy to control the P2 while it is in your pocket, thanks to the swiping motion to skip tracks, and the volume controls on the side of the player. The P2 also remembers where you left off on a song AND a video, even if the player has been turned off, which is a very nice feature. There is a small annoyance with the P2′s shuffle feature; skipping to the next song will play a random song, however, skipping to a previous song will also play a random song instead of playing the previous song that was listened to.
Charging the unit takes about 4 hours to complete, and can last a very long time when only listening to audio. The Samsung website advertises the expected battery life as 35 hours, and the actual life would probably be higher. Watching videos is another story, as it takes more processor power in order to play a video. The battery life sharply diminishes to about 5 hours.
The size of the P2 is very thin, compact, and light-weight which is great for portability. The sleek and stylish look is very attractive, and when pulled out in a crowd, it’s bound to attract attention away from the iPods that scour the population. The interface that Samsung has implemented into the P2 is very stylish and intuitive. The touch screen of the iTouch/iPhone is more intuitive because navigating songs is linear instead of the P2 where all the songs are organized into pages.
The sound quality that comes out of the player is up to par with onboard sound cards. Listening to music is very enjoyable with no static or distortions. The included earphones however are average. The treble is very crisp and clear, but the bass output is definitely lacking. It is obvious that Samsung has downgraded the included earphones on the P2 because the previous flagship audio player, the K5, had a very impressive set of earphones with a strong bass driver. The DNSe 2.0 sound processing technology implemented first as a firmware in the K3 is now stock on the P2. This updated version of the DNSe (Digital Natural Sound engine) processor includes a very user-friendly way to customize your audio experience. As noted in the video review, you can control a wide range of frequencies as well as the level of bass and 3D sound effect. There are also many included pre-set equalizer settings that are all very unique.
The FM radio function on the P2 is very clear and can handle a number of pre-set stations. FM recording is also available with Samsung’s new firmware update.

Conclusion

The Samsung P2 really delivers in a small package; it is very attractive, jam-packed with nifty features, as well as a very intuitive interface. There were very few problems when using this audio player on a daily basis, and the P2 is Bluetooth ready, a function that the iTouch lacks. Although the P2 does not have WiFi support to browse the web, the price difference between the iTouch and the P2 is enough to drive customers towards the P2.

The P2 is a very high class product, and is a solid replacement for the flagship title. Although the earphones that were included with the K5 where no longer present, a highly polished interface coupled with great sound is more than enough to make up for it. The P2 is a great product, and I would recommend it to anyone.Advantages

Video playback

Resistant to scratching, Magnesium alloy body

Long battery life

ID3 tag browsing

Radio tuner

Intuitive interface

Great sound processor (DNSe)

Disadvantages

Average earphones

Skipping to previous song in shuffle will play a random song

Tags: Mp3 Player, Overclockers Online, Review, Samsung, Youtube, YP-P2