The Samsung S5 is an MP3 player with a fun interface and excellent sound quality; the screen is a bit small, but this player is still a great choice if you want to share your tunes at the drop of a dime
Let's face it: it's just more fun to share tunes from something that actually looks like a portable speaker, rather than an MP3 player with two tiny ports on the back. The speaker is silver and decked out in circular dots, and it props the player up at a handy angle. The built-in alarm clock further augments its usefulness: leave the speaker open, and you can awake to a song of your choice.
In the standard MP3 player position, the overall design of the S5 is boxy (it measures 3.8 inches by 1.8 inches by 0.6 inch), though the shiny face and lack of real buttons gives it a sleek look. The controls don't become apparent until you turn the player on, which is when six "keys" light up.
The S5 supports music, video, and photos. If you get tired of your content, you can switch over to the FM radio, which has an autoscan function, 30 preset slots, as well as a recording feature. There's also stereo Bluetooth, so you can pair it with wireless headphones and a Bluetooth-capable cell phone.
That hold switch really comes in handy on a player that is so touch-sensitive. We're also keen on the way the speaker props the player up at an angle for better listening.
The S5 features a proprietary port for syncing and charging; the headphone jack is also placed on the bottom of the player. The device is clearly an audio enthusiast's MP3 player--it sounds just lovely.
You're going to have to shell out just a bit more for the S5 than you would for its competitors. The 2GB version lists for $119.99, while the 4GB model sells for $159.99 (by comparison, the 4GB Creative Zen lists at $129.99).
