Can A Samsung T10 MP3 Player Replace My Lost Apple iPod Nano?

One thing that helps me get through my work day is the ability to listen to music. Now that I work in an open space office (no cubical, walls etc) listening to music at a decent level without distracting other people can be a bit tricky. This is where a personal MP3 player can come in handy.

For the past two years I have been using Apple iPod Nanos, actually I have had two Apple iPod Nanos both were 2^nd Generation but the first one was a 4Gb and the more recent one has been a 2Gb. Both iPod Nanos were wonderful and easy to use and navigate. I have also found that their battery life to be the best out of any other MP3 player I have tried which is a big bonus, the less charges the more I can use it without being interrupted.

Recently though on a camping excursion it seems that I have lost my most recent 2Gb Apple iPod somewhere in West Vancouver (or so I think). I remember taking it from Robyn’s car and carrying it over to my car (about 10 feet away) but I never did find it in my car later that day when I looked for it. I think I must have dropped it while carrying camping equipment between both cars.

Samsung YP-T10 MP3 Player

Well luckily due to some PR Marketing of MatchStick.ca I did have a backup MP3 player, the Samsung YP-T10 and at 2Gb for storage it would hopefully replace my previous 2Gb iPod Nano. The T10 offers a high-quality LCD screen (320×240 TFT @ 2”), 2Gb of internal storage (4Gb is available), Video capabilities (SVI, WMV Formats), FM Tuner, Bluetooth and a bunch of other tidbits to tickle your MP3 fancy.

The Samsung T10 does not really offer a battery life comparable to that of my iPod Nano, in fact the Manufacture specifications mention that it can last up to roughly 30 hours per charge. I’ve only been able to get at most 16 hours (2 work days) and that was with the latest firmware that I recently downloaded. Prior to the firmware upgrade the battery life was really poor, even with Bluetooth turned off.

The navigation of the Samsung T10 is pretty interesting and is done by heat touch, which means you need to use something like your fingers to control the device. I prefer the iPod’s dial to the T10’s method of navigation but the T10 does offer multiple themes though both are easy to navigate around.

One thing that I do wish the Apple iPod’s did have standard would be the feature of an FM Tuner. Being able to listen to the radio on the Samsung T10 would be the only thing (for me) that it has over the Apple iPod Nano.

The video quality of the Samsung T10 is good (depending on the video quality of course) and I was quite impressed while I watched the trailer for Dragon Wars on it. When I showed the quality to other people around me they too were impressed. Granted watching movies on a 2” screen isn’t the most fun to do but it is better than just listening to the audio of a movie.

Sound quality on the Samsung T10 I would say is comparable to the Apple iPod Nano but with both MP3 players I would suggest upgrading the lousy ear buds they come with. I prefer the in-the-ear-cannel ear buds that offer a much better range of frequencies. The ear buds that come with the Samsung are far more uncomfortable than those of the Apple iPod Nano (or any iPod for that matter).

FM Tuner that is built into the Samsung T10 is a nice addition (and a bonus over any of the Apple iPods) but the receiving strength of FM Stations is at par. I listen to usually 3 FM stations and 1 of them comes in crystal clear, another comes in so-so quality and the 3^rd I really have to position the player higher to get a decent signal to be able to hear anything from the station.

Another feature of the Samsung YP-T10 is a MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) device which means that out of the box it will only work on Windows XP SP2 and above. There could be Mac OS X support if you are able to find a MTP driver but since I do not own a Mac I have no reason to see if there is one available. Being an MTP device allows you to plug it into your computer via the USB connection and browse the device like a regular hard drive. You can also upload your MP3s directly to the music folder if you don’t want to use the supplied Samsung Media Center software.

Overall the Samsung YP-T10 is a good little MP3 player that I have enjoyed using since the disappearance of my Apple iPod Nano but it would never fully replace my iPod Nano mainly because of the short battery life the Samsung T10 seems to have. I also do not like that natively the Samsung Media Center software does not allow me to edit the ID3 tags of the music I have on the device either, I have to use a separate program to do this, whereas with iTunes you can edit the ID3 tags as well as other tidbits of information stores in the MP3 format.

I have a few devices that work only with an Apple iPod connector such as my Xtreme Mac Luna Alarm Clock, and my FM Transmitter for my car. These are also big contributors as to why the Samsung YP-T10 will not replace my Apple iPod Nano.

Pros:

• Small, sleek design
• Screen quality is vibrant
• GUI is clean and easy to use (as well as changeable)
• Screen protector comes preinstalled

Cons:

• Poor Battery Life (16 hours between charges when Manufacture says about 30 for audio?)
• Quality of the FM Tuner can be at par for local radio stations
• Samsung Media Center software is very basic

Score: 8 out of 10