Prizefight: iPod Touch vs. Samsung P3
Apple's iPod Touch is one of highest-rated MP3 players on CNET, but it's also one of the most expensive, starting at $230. That's a lot of money to drop on an MP3 player, especially when a touch-screen competitor like the Samsung P3 delivers many of the same features as the Touch for about $80 less. The price difference is dramatic, but it's unclear whether the Touch is suffering from an inflated ego, or if the P3's price is too good to be true.
To determine which of these touch-screen, music- and video-playing portable beauties is really worth your time and money, we've subjected each device to five rounds of criticism from three of our toughest judges. So let's stretch those fingers, and break out the good headphones, because the battle of CNET's top touch-screen media players is about to begin.
Donald Bell is CNET Reviews' senior editor for MP3 players and portable audio, and one half of the MP3 Insider blog and weekly podcast. He also likes getting his hands dirty with digital audio tools for musicians and DJs.
Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
Make it Samsung P3 vs some $80 iPod, so it'll be better. But as all Apple has at this price range are Shuffles and Nanos, I don't think there is a way to make it a fair Prizefight.
I can browse the web , watch youtube videos
Find new music to listen from Pandora,last.fm and imeem
play games, make skype calls, Free Smss thx to the textfree app
and install about 50000 other apps from Finance management to Productivity apps
to dictionaries other reference tools , the list goes on and on , there's a app for just about anything
the P3 isnt even in the same league
if all you want is Music and video maybe the Samsung is decent device !
but even then the iPod touch has a iPod built in, which says it all !
The ipod touch is a feature packed gizmo, but since it is, from most accounts, one worst sounding players out there, I can't understand how it could possibly be considered in the top half of any list of mp3 players. Even Jasmine and Donald have said in the past, if I remember correctly, they don't use their ipod touches to play music.
I managed to get one for $180. After reading this article I think the Samsung is a better value. But this is really about cool touch pad then anything else. Its kind of a waste. I much rather have more storage then a cool tech gadget. iPod Touch is their to impress in the short term but it disappoints long term.
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August 9, 2009 9:23 AM PDT
- Seems like someone may have put in a fix on this prize fight!
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(15 Comments)Many of the criteria rated seem skewed unfairly towards a certain fruit.
I own both a first generation Ipod Touch and a Samsung P3. After using both I can honestly say that the first generation Touch isn?t anywhere near the value or the quality of the Samsung P3.
My observations:
1. The P3 is notably smaller than the Touch
2. The P3 has a built-in speaker for use without earphones
3. The P3 has amazing sound quality for a portable consumer device
4. The Touch can surf the Internet but some of us have PC?s, laptop?s, netbooks, etc. to do that.
5. The P3 has Bluetooth 2.1 whereas the first gen Touch does not.
6. The Touch is limited to communication with iTunes. The P3 sync?s through Emdio, Rhapsody, Windows Media Player.
7. User interfaces on both are different yet good in either case. Navigating with either can be problematic for those uninitiated or with larger fingers.
8. Firmware upgrades are free for the P3. Firmware upgrades for the Touch aren?t free.
9. P3 is $80 to $100 cheaper than equivalent Touch.
While I do not believe that the P3 is an Ipod killer, it?s a good solid little media player and an excellent value. Just as firmware releases have improved the Touch my guess is that, over time, we will see similar improvements to the P3.