Samsung's latest flash-based player displays photos
Samsung YP-T7
The product: Samsung is representing big-time at CES. One of the hot MP3 players for 2005 is the YP-T7, a flash-based player with the look and feel of a hard drive-based player. Available in 512MB and 1GB capacities, the YP-T7 has a 65,000-color screen that can display photos and album art. The player is compatible with an abundance of formats, including MP3, WMA, protected WMA, OGG, ASF, and JPEG, and it has a rated battery life of 12 hours. Additional features include an alarm clock, a voice recorder, line-in recording, and an FM tuner--an impressive list, considering the device's tiny but very usable form factor. Other specifics include:

• Measures 2.4 by 1.5 by 0.6 inches and weighs a light 3 ounces
• Simultaneous photo viewing and music listening
• Supports SRS Wow audio
• Included accessories are a carrying case, a necklace, a direct USB adapter, and an in-line encoding cable

The price: $149.99 (512MB version); $199.99 (1GB version)

The prospects: Not only is the YP-T7 petite and beautiful, it packs in pretty much every feature you can think of--not bad for a flash-based player. In addition, the very aggressive price points signal a trend toward more able and affordable flash players in 2005.

By James Kim, senior editor, CNET Reviews