The good:The Samsung T10 features a sleek and stylish design with an engaging Flash-based interface. Rhapsody DNA is integrated for seamless subscription and Channel support, and the player offers a plethora of features: video and photo playback, a built-in FM tuner and voice recorder, and stereo Bluetooth functionality.
The bad:The touchpad of the Samsung T10 requires precision for desired results, and there's no elegant handling of podcasts. Video support is abbreviated, conversion is a pain, and audio support is limited to MP3 and WMA.
The bottom line:The Samsung T10 won't satisfy audio purists, but users who value lots of features, a fun interface, and a player that will turn heads should give it a look.
Adding to the ever-growing crop of media players with wireless features is the Samsung T10, a 4GB flash device with integrated stereo Bluetooth functionality. At $170, it's not the most competitively-priced player on the block, but it's packed with features and comes in your choice of five high-gloss colors (black, white, green, red, and purple). For style-conscious users who want a multifunctional device, the T10 hits the mark, but audio purists and those who prefer tactile controls should look elsewhere.
The Samsung T10 may be the successor to the T9, but it looks more like the love child of the Samsung K3 and the flash memory-based Microsoft Zune. The face of the T10 features the same smudge-prone, high-gloss finish and backlit touch controls as the K3, but the 2-inch color screen and brushed metal backside are distinctly Zune-like. Overall, its sleek and stylish look (measuring 3.8 inches by 1.6 inches by 0.3 inch) will appeal to design-conscious users. As with both parental players, the T10 has a proprietary dock connector (bummer) and offers no dedicated volume buttons (double bummer). The right edge of the player houses the solitary tactile control: a power/hold switch.
The playback screen on the T10 is unique, to say the least. In Sammy mode, a pack of dogs rock out across a graphic equalizer, while the main Sammy below holds an album art thumbnail. This screen displays song title and artist, as well as time elapsed/remaining, playback mode, time of day, and a battery meter.
Since 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. Full Bio
