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The logic behind Samsung's Galaxy Player 5.0 seems fairly straightforward. You take Samsung's tailored version of the Android 2.3 smartphone operating system, put it on a pocket-size device with a 5-inch screen, and you should have an appealing alternative to Apple's popular iPod Touch.
Putting aside the fact that this device is arriving about four years too late to be a meaningful competitor to the iPod Touch, the first glaring flaw in Samsung's plan is the Galaxy Player 5.0's $269 price tag. Any device like this priced over $199 has to compete not only with the iPod Touch, but with the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet, and a slew of discounted 7-inch tablets.
Does Samsung offer some killer feature or an eye-catching design to help it stand out from the growing crowd of sub-$300 Android devices? Frankly, no. It's not a bad product, though, and if you still suspect it might be the perfect match for your particular needs, please read on.
Features
The Galaxy Player 5.0 may not be my cup of tea, but it does offer a few features that you won't find on most of its competition.
First off, let's take the iPod Touch out of the equation and assume that you've found your way to this review because of some deep-seeded aversion to Apple products that acts as a cornerstone of your identity. I get it. With the growing number of Android phone users out there, clearly you're not alone.
So let's look at the rest of the competition. Compared with a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet, the Galaxy Player offers additional features such as front and rear cameras, GPS, Bluetooth, and support for Google's suite of official mobile apps, including Gmail, Google Talk, and the Android Market. If you're someone who's already invested heavily in Android Market apps, it makes sense that you'd want a compatible device that can run them. The Kindle and the Nook won't (easily) run apps downloaded from Android Market.
That said, the kind of user who's already heavily invested in Android Market is bound to be the kind of person who already has an Android phone with the same (or better) photo and navigation capabilities and a persistent connection to the Internet. I can think of no reason why you would throw $269 at a Galaxy Player 5.0 if you already had an Android smartphone. The extra screen real estate is negligible compared with the payoff of spending the same or less on a 7-inch tablet.
If you're thinking of picking one up to entertain a kid or placate a teenager who'd rather have a proper smartphone, the Galaxy Player will get the job done, but it may provide more than you bargained for.
As a parent myself, I get a little uneasy around the idea of apps potentially tracking the whereabouts of my kid using the built-in GPS. You can decline to use these features, but with no way to lock them out, there's no stopping your child from enabling location services when you're not around. I'm also concerned about my kid having an unfiltered connection to the Internet. I think we can all admit that the World Wide Web is the greatest repository of pornography mankind has ever invented. Call me naive, call me prudish, but I think Apple got it right with the set of parental controls and feature lockouts that have been included in iOS from its inception.
Design
OK, so the Samsung Galaxy Player probably isn't for Android smartphone fans, its price is too high for cheapskates, and it's arguably an inappropriate gift for kids--so who's left? Well, not design snobs.
