Take a closer look at the Samsung U5, a budget-friendly MP3 player with a focus on fitness.
Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
The Samsung U5 is a fitness-friendly MP3 player with a cute design and an affordable price ($40). With only 2GB of storage and a cramped, 1-inch screen, the U5 isn't suited as a primary MP3 player, but it works great as a second-rung surrogate to spare your iPhone the indignity of being tossed in the gym bag.
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The top edge of the U5 includes a Menu button, and a multifunction button that can be assigned to perform different tasks. By default, the multifunction button engages the U5's voice recorder.
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The U5's headphone jack sticks out of the right side of the player, and shoots upward while the player is clipped to your belt or pocket.
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The U5 has a long, USB stick design, similar to the Sony Walkman B-Series, measuring 4.35 inches long by 2.61 inches wide by 1.5 inches thick.
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A four-direction navigation pad graces one end of the player, and at the other end, you'll find a standard USB connection covered by a removable cap.
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A four-line, 1-inch, OLED display is slightly recessed into the middle of the U5, giving it an unfortunate resemblance to a pregnancy test. Despite its small size, the display is relatively bright, with white-on-black lettering and the kind of excellent viewing angles only OLED can accomplish.
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Samsung rates the U5's battery life at an impressive 20 hours, which is 6 hours more than you're likely to get from competitors such as the Sansa Clip or Sony B-Series, but not quite as high as the 27 hours boasted by the Philips GoGear Spark.
