Samsung S3 Slim (4GB, green)
As shown: $79.99
See manufacturer site for availability
CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Released on:
- Reviewed on:
- Updated on:
The good: The Samsung S3 Slim MP3 player offers a sleek and stylish design and a handful of desirable features, such as OGG support, a folder navigation option, and a nine-band user EQ. It's also a good value and offers great sound quality.
The bad: Compared with other Samsung players, the S3 is anemic in the features department, and the touch-sensitive controls are not for everyone. Audio battery life is below average.
The bottom line: The Samsung S3 Slim MP3 player is a solid option for budget-minded users with an eye for design and an ear for audio.
The MP3 player market does nothing but benefit from the decline in flash memory prices. One of many examples can be found in the Samsung S3 Slim, a super slick-looking device that comes in 4GB and 8GB versions for just $79.99 and $119.99, respectively. The S3 delivers a good value, thanks to excellent sound quality and a handful of useful features. However, we're a bit letdown by the player's shrunken screen and lack of integrated Bluetooth, a neat feature that is included on its sibling, the Samsung T10.
The Samsung S3 ... Expand full review
The MP3 player market does nothing but benefit from the decline in flash memory prices. One of many examples can be found in the Samsung S3 Slim, a super slick-looking device that comes in 4GB and 8GB versions for just $79.99 and $119.99, respectively. The S3 delivers a good value, thanks to excellent sound quality and a handful of useful features. However, we're a bit letdown by the player's shrunken screen and lack of integrated Bluetooth, a neat feature that is included on its sibling, the Samsung T10.
The Samsung S3 Slim is fairly similar in design to its predecessor, the Samsung T10, although the S3 has a sturdier feel and more rounded edges. The clear-coated metallic body gives the player a smooth feel and stylish look, and at least some of the colors aren't completely smudge-prone--a rarity in shiny devices. The S3 is available in a choice of five colors: black, blue, green, red, and white. Glowing touch-sensitive controls live beneath the shiny exterior and light up only when activated by your finger. On the one hand, this gives the player a sleek and stylish look; on the other, it adds an extra step to navigation. The singular tactile control, a combo power/hold switch, resides on the right spine. The bottom of the S3 houses a proprietary syncing port and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Unfortunately, you won't find a dedicated volume rocker anywhere on the device.
As its name suggests, the Samsung S3 Slim is slender and compact, measuring 3.7 inches by 1.7 inches by 0.3 inch, which is just fractionally larger than the 4G iPod Nano. Sadly, the S3's screen is 0.2 inch smaller than that of both the T10 and the Nano at 1.8 inches diagonally. This seemingly minor decrease is definitely noticeable when it comes to portable devices.
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Compare selectedSince 2003, Jasmine France has worked at CNET covering everything from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices to MP3 players. She currently cohosts the Crave podcast and spends the majority of her time testing headphones, music software, and mobile apps.
User Reviews
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Most recent user reviews
Showing 3 of 8 reviews
"Seems like a nice player; but..." By socal4me
Pros: can't get the s/w to install and recognize it. Radio's great, all the other features appear like they will be good or better, but I can't tell...
Cons: because the install cd that I got with the system doesn't seem to work. I can't get my pc to recognize the player and I can't seem to get Samsung to recognize the problem and according to the boards I've read, no one else can either.
Summary: I wasted my $80. That's the price of just not ponying up for an iPod. Maybe Samsung TV's are better...their pictures look superior. Maybe this is a fluke...Nah. Why chance it, I'll stick with Sony.
"Not like my last samsung player" By Nick408
Pros: 1. Text reader
Cons: 1. Bad menu layout. hidden functions
2. volume control is not easy
3. earphone jack has bad connection
4. video conversion and transfer takes an awful long time
5. touch sensitive controls are very inaccurate.
Summary: I recently started liking samsung, almost comparing it to sony, but after this player I will have to rethink my position. This is probably the worst player I have bought, which is surprising because the last one (yp-u2) was amazing, almost indestructible until my computer didn't recognize it anymore.... Expand full review
Specifications
See full specsQuick Specs
- Digital Storage / Capacity: 4 GB
- Flash memory installed: 4 GB
- Digital player supported digital audio standards: MP3 WMA
