Digital Trends

Samsung P2 4GB December 27th, 2007 | by Mike Kobrin

Features and Design

The Samsung P2 looks like a less-polished version of the iPod touch, with a 3-inch touchscreen that’s oriented vertically in a 16:9 aspect ratio (480 by 272 pixels). The LED just below the screen looks like it should be a dedicated Home/Menu button, but it’s actually nothing more than a status indicator light.

A hold switch and power/play/pause button grace the left edge, while the right side has a pair of volume controls -- an advantage over the iPod touch’s on-screen volume slider. The charge/sync connector on the bottom between the headphone jack and pinhole mic is proprietary, so don’t lose that cable!

The black plastic-bodied unit measures 3.4 by 2.05 by .39 inches and weighs a hair over 3 ounces. Overall, the P2 feels good in our hand; though we wish the buttons on the sides were placed closer to the top of the device for better comfort. The screen picks up fingerprints easily but is scuff-resistant, though we have a tendency to take good care of our electronics.

The Samsung P2 fits perfectly in your hand

You can pick up the P2 in two flash memory configurations: 4GB ($200 USD) or 8GB ($250 USD). Given that Samsung manufactures its own flash memory – as well as the fact that there’s a 16GB iPod touch -- we’re surprised no 16GB P2 exists yet.

Wireless Goodies

Samsung included Bluetooth but no Wi-Fi, so if you have to surf the Web or watch YouTube clips on your player, try the Archos 605 Wi-Fi or iPod touch. Sadly, that means no wireless sync, streaming, or downloads, and no Internet radio (though there’s an FM tuner). The P2 supports AVRCP and A2DP profiles, so you can listen to music wirelessly in stereo on up to two headsets simultaneously. 

The real kicker is that you can pair the P2 with a headset and a cell phone; when a call comes in, the P2 switches the headset audio to the incoming call, and you can talk via the pinhole mic on the bottom of the player. It sounds klunky, but pairing our Jabra BT8030 headset and Motorola RAZR Maxx Ve was smooth in our testing, and although call quality wasn’t great, it was passable. Of course, to have all your devices’ Bluetooth features turned on all the time will drain their batteries more quickly.

Speaking of battery life, Samsung claims 30 hours of audio playback time, trumping the iPod touch’s 22 hours, as well as 5 hours of video per charge. Note that you’ll get far less battery life with features like Street mode, sound enhancement, Bluetooth, and shuffle enabled. The screen is bright by default, but for music listening you can squeeze those extra few hours out by dimming it.