Towards the extremity of portable player.
It is a difficult way moving towards the extreme portable player. It s difficult job finding the taste of different users, suggesting the trend and creating compositive product with different kinds of functions. After many researches and studies through many products in the past, the products that Samsung has recently introduced show its big step towards the extreme portable player. After popular models such as Z5F, T9, Jack of all trades and K5 with lots of usable attractive characteristics, YP-K3 is the one looking after the king of the portable player.

Just reduced the size of K5? Totally different feeling and satisfaction level, K3!
There was only one idea by users when the first picture of K3 was obtained from overseas website. What is this? Just reduced the size of K5 to make slim? But it s only the idea coming from the picture. When the product is looked in real, it was a slim but strong product. The satisfaction level when grabbed in hand is very high as well as for visual satisfaction level. The product received was a black color. Later for K3, additional colored types are going to be introduced. In CES2007, all other models are exhibited and caught eyes of people. Black, lime and red. These are three colors for K3.

3 keywords for K3
There are 3 main characteristics for K3. Black diamond, chrome line and slim design! These three things are well matching keywords for K3. Smart looking front side shows the luxury appearance. The chrome line adds a nice looking appearance to the dark black. No matter where it is put, K3 emphasizes the style of surroundings. Luxury design is the first characteristic that shines K3.

Tidy and magnificent screen organization
When the power is turned on, the magnificence approaches at the maximum. It s not the magnificence of parti-colored like a rainbow, but it is a refining magnificence based on a blue tone. The backlight of the screen and buttons is very bright and clear, so it emphasizes the blue feeling even more. On the bottom side, a touch pad is hidden. Total of 7 function buttons is included in the touch pad helps not to have any other buttons except the power and hold switch so the tidy design was achievable for K3.

The magnificent harmony of digital and analog watch
If the operation of the device is stopped to listen to the music, the backlight of the touch pad is turned off and maintains the dark black tone. And the screen changes to an analog watch. Of course if you don t like the analog watch, users can change to image or animation. The luxury black diamond watch has an attractive feeling even thought it cannot be wore on the wrist.

Slim design considering the material
The rear side is a metal material. And it is quite strong metal material. Therefore even though it is slim, it doesn t look weak. When I measured the thickness with Vernier Calipers, the thickness was less than 8mm. The strong and hard feeling with slim design must be the fact that is going to attract a lot of users.

High quality sound
Nowadays the sound quality is upward equalized, but the sound quality of all products cannot be at satisfied level. Even though the product is so slim, 3.5 pi terminal was located on the bottom side to connect to the earphone. The music is played in normal mode without any sound effect. The biggest characteristic is the high output with strong low tone. The output has a good score and in fact, the power at low tone is the better characteristic than the output. Even though the design is slim, it does not mean the slim sound. Even though any other sound effect is not used, it was forming appropriate space of sound and the low tone has a firm sound. The high tone is just good enough. This is an interesting product. If people can have a chance to play with K3, I would like to advise them to start listening at a normal effect. For more details on sound quality, let s talk on the review.

The first line-up of Samsung Electronics starting year 2007
Year 2007 has started. Actually it s already moving towards February. If year 2006 was the year that Yepp line-up of Samsung Electronics has shown various types of product ranges, year 2007 is going to a year to grow and develop the Yepp line-up of Samsung Electronics. K3 is already suggesting the trend. Luxury design, slim but strong material and high sound quality are the factors that help to achieve. I will explain in detail what this product is all about in this review.

Various Ways to Listen to Music
Music has become an integral part of our life. It is what we look for when we feel down, excited or angry or simply long for calmness or excitement. Music has an indescribable attraction, as its intangible waves can completely overturn our states of moods. Perhaps reflecting this nature of music, MP3 players, which enable the users to listen to music whenever and wherever they want, have become necessities of our lives. We always keep our MP3 players by our side ? when we take a walk, go on a trip, read a book, or even when we study. These MP3 players that we have come to cherish so much as our friends and that have captured the wonders of technological advancements over the years have yet to achieve another goal we wish they could: that is, to connect not only ourselves, but also our close friends to the same world of enchanting music at the same time. However, attempts at achieving this goal have failed so far in various ways: to attach additional speakers to an MP3 means that its design would become less than attractive; to make an MP3 smaller and cuter means that it would have no space for speakers and that its sound would not be as pleasant. Is it really impossible for our MP3 players to entertain all of us and our friends at the same time? Not so, according to Samsung, which has launched its ambitious new product named Samsung YP-K5 (to which we will refer as K5 from the following paragraph). This new product from Samsung will present to us the conclusion of various ways with which we can enjoy music on our MP3 players.
Simple Structure, Unique Earphones
Given the complexity of its multi-functions in addition to its built-in speakers, K5 has a surprisingly simple structure although it offers all the functions we need. Inside the external package surrounding K5, decorated with colorful, graphic work of art representing the versatility of the MP3 player, is a black-box, which houses some of the essential components. The most attention-drawing feature about this MP3 player is its set of the earphones. K5 is the first of any electronic music-playing devices to introduce these low-sound-intensifying earphones with the model name of EP-100 that the users of ordinary earphones may find refreshingly unique at first. The earphones combine kernel-shaped parts that are to be placed safely inside the ears and open parts of wide diameters. The parts that go into the ears are covered in a soft, slippery material that protects the ears. EP-100 earphones are not like other wide-diameter earphones that tend to fall out of the ears easily. Samsung has chosen EP-100 in order to reinforce the rich low-to-mid-pitched sound that one may expect from a home-theater system. EP-100 earphones do amplify the texture of low-pitched sound on both ears, aptly fulfilling their purposes. This function of EP-100 earphones becomes clear when they are contrasted to other earphones that play significantly less low-pitched sound. EP-100 earphones, however, may not give the high resolution you want when you listen to mid-to-high-pitched sound. EP-100 earphones are quite charming for users who prefer to listen to low-pitched sound, but may not be as enchanting for users who tend to value the balance of sound or listen to high-pitched sound.

Original and Masculine Design
You may ask three questions when you first encounter K5: Where are the buttons? How do I work this thing? Where is the sound coming from? Those three questions are exactly what the designers of this innovative device meant to make you ask. The conventional, chunky MP3 players we are used to are hardly associated with such words as convenience and portability, as they were built around the function of speakers. K5, on the other hand, looks like our ideal of MP3 players. Although it does not look as slim or compact as other popular MP3 players on the market these days, its masculine black color, overall matte finish and highly glossy front definitely make much more sophisticated and mature. Moreover, the luxurious texture and round-finished corners also suggest that K5 is a result of pursuing perfectionism in terms of quality.

K5 has the display screen in the upper front part (or, depending on how you look at it, on the left side). Grab K5 in your hand, and you will feel no different from holding an MP3 player or a cellular phone. The shiny, highly glossy material covering the front part of the MP3 player adds to the overall sophistication already emboldened by the masculine black color. Surrounding this sophisticated external finish is a lining made of a matte material. This lining, slightly curved inward, gives the device that more finished, decorative look.

As we will discuss in more details later, the only button or switch of K5 is the power or hold switch you can find on the upper corner of the device. Then, where are the other buttons? You can find the buttons arranged on the lower corner of the basic desk-top setting, displayed on the screen on the front part of the device. This display screen of K5 looks like a matte-finished, black panel when the device is off. However, once you turn the device on, you will see various icons emerging from the deep black on your screen. You can operate these icons by simply and lightly touching on them. Thanks to these icons that serve as buttons, the designers of K5 were able to make the sophisticated, simplistic device as K5 is.

The original design of K5 makes it a bit difficult to name the parts (front, back, sides, etc.). For the sake of convenience, we will refer to the long side with the display screen front from now on. K5 looks most like an ordinary MP3 player when it is placed with its display screen facing up. It is when K5 is placed like this that we can say the Power and Hold switch is located in the upper corner of the device. This type of switch that functions both as power and hold switches at once has become quite a trend among similar devices. To turn the device on, you can lightly slide the switch and wait for a few seconds. To place the device on the hold mode, you can slide the switch back in the opposite direction. This switch is perhaps the most analogue feature about K5, as in the sense of being non-digital. The switch, however, is also very convenient at the same time.

Both the left and the rights sides of the device are simply finished. Hold the device in your hand, and you will feel the luxurious texture of the non-shiny surface surrounding all the sides. This matte, simplistic touch was achieved by putting all the buttons inside the device as icons. The sides are a bit slanted. This slight slant adds to the sense of security when you grab the device, while also emphasizing its overall stylishness. The slant may be a minor touch, but it emboldens the originality of the overall design of K5.

The lower side of K5 houses terminals for the earphones and data storing and charging device. The earphone terminal is an ordinary, 3.5 plug into which any other types of earphones or headsets may be plugged. The charger terminal on the right has 24-pin connectors so that K5 can be charged by any cellular-phone adapter. This charger terminal may look like not much, but it definitely enables the device to be charged without any hassle in todays world where many people have cellular phones. When K5 is not charging, a separate plastic cover protects this connector terminal from outside. When you need to use this connector, this separate cover is automatically slipped back so that you can connect other devices to K5.

The back also has the same matte finish as the sides. You will not find various certificate logos, marks, or serial numbers on K5 you normally found on other MP3 players, except the silk-screened logo of SAMSUNG in the middle. K5 is utterly simplistic and sophisticated in its design. The two small rectangles in the lower part of the device are actually covers for two screws. The black material covering the back and the sides of K5 may look like plastic, but it is actually not. I, for one, could not even believe that the material was not plastic, until I read the product specifications and touched the device myself. But when you touch the device, you can feel the inherent coldness and strength of a metallic material. The external case of K5 is made of not plastic, but magnesium. Magnesium is a material commonly used in high-end digital products to maintain their solidarity while reducing their weights. Magnesium is also highly resistant to scratches. Considering the relatively high cost of processing and producing magnesium cases, you will understand better the consumer price of K5.

The picture above is the overall view of K5 when it is turned off. Where, then, is the highly talked about speaker? To find the much publicized speaker, you need to pull down the front part of the device lightly. Grab the device just like you would a harmonica, and gently pull the front part down. Then you will see the device surprisingly break apart. K5 feels smooth when its front part is pulled down. It feels similar to using Samsungs Anycall Slide cellular phones. This sleek, gentle feeling of slide feels quite different from the semi-automated slide of another cellular phone. Try not to get too addicted to this feeling of gentle and smooth slide, or you will find yourself playing with this device even when you are not listening to music.

What makes the front slide down so smoothly and gently is hiding in the back. Here, you will find the various certificate logos and serial numbers you had expected to see on the outer side of the device. The back of the front that slides open is the best hidden feature of K5. Covered in a sleek, smooth material that allows for the sliding, this part also features two bars that move up and down on the hinges installed on the other inner side of the device. Looking to reset the device? You will find the RESET button not on the outer side (as you would with other conventional MP3 players), but on this hidden part of K5 which reveals itself only after you have slid it open.



Slide the device open, and you will find a perforated metallic panel. Yes, you are right: this perforated metallic piece is the much talked-about speaker. Now that you have slid the device open, you will also realize that this position of the speaker is the best when it comes to playing music aloud. This metallic speaker, with the pretty YEPP logo in its upper-middle part, is what makes K5 look like an audio device, not merely an MP3 player.

Simply, Convenient, and Versatile Functionality
Now, we will turn K5 on. While the bluish icons gracefully flash in the center of the touchpad, the SAMSUNG logo makes its wavy appearance on the display screen. The blue icons especially go well with the overall black color of the device. Be careful not to get too taken away by the magic of the screen, even when all those touchpad buttons are sparkling and an eye-catching display appears. The screen is a 1.71-inch, full-color OLED LCD. The OLED is known for its vivid and bright colors. It is a perfect match for K5 covered in black.

Listen to music for a while through your earphones. Then, while the music is still on, gently pull the slide down, and you will be surprised by the clear quality of the sound coming out of the speaker. Without having to go through a separate process of setting, the screen will automatically change from the vertical to the horizontal mode and the device will automatically stop the earphone function. The Back button is also re-located so that it becomes easier to operate on the horizontal mode. This makes K5 very user-friendly. The sound coming out of the speaker also does not blaze out at once: the volume is at first low, and automatically adjusts itself to become louder. Conventionally, the size of the speaker matches the quality of the sound it plays. Samsung, a well-established maker of various electronic voice and music devices, is well-aware of that fact. The small speaker of K5, however, does not easily fit that conventional description: It may be small, but it conveys the full dimensionality and quality of the sound it plays. These two small speakers play the kind of sound one might expect not from a 98mm-speaker, but from a 50cm-speaker. In other words, K5 plays music with a full stereo effect. Music Space, which often accompanies various devices from Samsung, has interesting sound effects that convey full dimensionality. K5 ultimately confirms the skills and experiences Samsung has acquired in electronic sound area. Play a moving car sound on your K5, placed right on your desk, and you will actually feel like a car has just moved from your left to your right. Now is time to turn the volume up. Even at its highest, the sound K5 plays has the same quality: in fact, at higher volumes, the sound coming out of K5 sounds even nearer to you. The sound does not turn unstable in a wide range of volumes. K5, overall, plays sound with quite a pleasant quality. This quality of sound assures that K5, as it promises on its product description, can be used as an alarm and a portable mini-audio player, while it can also be carried with you to anywhere you go. Now is your chance to actually confirm whether all my compliments are true.

Forgive me for being carried away too far by the sound of K5, and not having explained its functions. Now, let us have a look at each of the various functions of K5. The menus of functions K5 offers is largely divided into five categories: Music, FM Radio, Photo, Alarm, and Settings. ?These menus are expressed by the sparkly, water-drop-like icons that subtly shine like diamonds. As you move up and down the menus, the water-drop-like icons re-arrange themselves, forming different shapes. Underneath each shape you can see a brief description of each icon. You need to pay attention to the number of the water-drops: the numbers of the water-drops on the left and right sides indicate the order of the menu you are currently on. If you move a step in the right direction, one water-drop appears on the left side. Move two steps in the right direction, and two water drops appear on the left side, while one water-drop on the right side disappears. For instance, if you are currently on the Photo menu, which is the third of the five menus, you will see two water-drops on each side.

Select the Music menu and a water-drop on the left side will drop down, showing you the list of music you have. Select the piece you would like to play, and the screen will automatically turn into a simplistic Play mode. Unlike the past, the variety and fluorescence of colors no longer matters when it comes to MP3 players. K5 is an illustration of this: its screen is very simply structured, mixing only the blue and white colors. In particular, the graphic equalizer placed in the center, dances like a fish in a river, thanks to the accurate and vivid OLED display function. Turn this equalizer off, and you will see enchanting graphic effects. Below the effects are indicated basic types of information about the music being played.

Click the icon in the lower right corner while your music is playing to see the submenu. The submenu contains such functions as sound effects, equalizer activation, and so forth. This submenu is not so difficult to master, since it is structured simply and easily.

The second on the big menu list is FM Radio. This FM radio function makes K5 much more interesting and usable, since K5 has stereo speakers. Select the FM Radio function, and you will see a large frequency sign and a level meter. The red indicating line in the middle is also visually impressive. While you are holding K5, slide the device open and turn the radio on. You will see the screen automatically adjusting itself to the horizontal mode, filling up with sparkly lights. The only thing I did not like about using K5 as a radio was that the radio frequencies are caught only when the earphones are connected to the device.

Connect the earphones that serve as an antenna and move the frequency. The red pole in the center looks as if it were moving, but what is moving in fact is the level meters behind the red pole. These level meters move both in the left and the right directions so that you get the feel of an actual radio. Overall, K5 receives radio signals well. If you cannot receive a signal well, set the Signal Receiving Sensitivity under the submenu at high. The user can either move the frequencies himself, or have the frequencies preset. Of course you can listen to the radio through the earphones, but what makes K5 so valuable is listening to the radio using its speakers. It may not sound as clear as other music files saved in your MP3 storage, but the FM radio function of K5 is amply attractive by itself. Put this little device on your desk while youre working, and you can access your favorite radio station without any hassle.

Now, lets move to the Photo menu. You can view your photos under this menu. At first, I had K5 display four thumbnail images. The line gradually growing above the thumbnail images indicates how much of the music that is being played now has been played. This may not look significant, but what makes K5 truly interesting and original is these little touches that people tend to neglect. Thanks to the full-color display function of K5, all the photos being displayed appear clearly and vividly. While you are viewing these images, press the button in the center of the touchpad in order to have the images automatically slide. Store the photos of your loved ones, and watch them on the automatic slide mode with your favorite tune in the background. Are you looking forward to proposing to the girl you have had your crush on forever, but have not had guts to express your feelings toward? Have her photos stored in K5, and show her with that special song you have prepared along. You will sweep her off her feet. Find this little tip of mine cheesy? Well, then, find your own ways to enjoy this additional function of your K5.

While you are viewing the images, press the Menu button to see two simple additional menus. Some users may not find these little menus as attractive as I find them, but for those who hate reading the complicated printed manuals as much as I do, these menus make K5 all the more likable, because they really make it easier to use the device. The two menus you have just opened include Background Music and Screensaver functions. Under the Background Music, you can either turn on or turn off the background music. The Screensaver menu enables you to designate the image you are viewing right now as the screensaver that will appear when you are not using K5.

The next on the menu is the Alarm function. Other MP3 players that offer alarm often have the alarm function under the Settings menu. However, K5 takes its alarm function seriously, because K5 is specially designed to stand upright and equipped with a speaker that plays high-quality sound. The Alarm menu lists only the functions related to setting the alarm. You can set separate times for alarm for Monday through Friday, and Saturday to Sunday. You can also select the sound of alarm (alarm signal) and alarm recurrence. You might find the line indicating time a bit odd at first. That line actually makes the alarm clock stored in K5 look like a flip clock when you change the time. This little graphic touch makes K5 look all the more like a conventional, real alarm. After setting your alarm, return to the original Menu page, and you will find all the alarms you have set appearing on the list. You can set up to six different times at which your alarm should go off. If you would like to cancel one of those alarms, move your water-drop to select it and just press the Menu button.

For the alarm signal, you can choose from the three types of sounds offered specifically for alarm. Or, you can also select your favorite tune as your alarm by clicking the Submenu button while you are listening to music. K5 offers a variety of ways with which the device can be enjoyed. Did you turn K5 off after setting alarm? Do not worry: K5 will automatically turn on and send off alarm at the time you have set. Its alarm sounds loud enough. As the alarm goes off, the screen of K5 starts rapidly changing between the blue and the red tones, prompting the user to get up. Did you close the device because it was too loud? Do not worry: K5 will automatically active its submenu, under which the alarm will continue to ring until you press the Cancel button. Are you worried that you might turn all the things off even after the loud alarm goes off? Then, put K5 as far away from you as possible. You will still hear its sound.

Now, we will look into the last on our menu: Settings. The Setting menu is as simple as other menus. Its simplicity notwithstanding, the Settings offers all the functions you need, including the screensaver, display-off time, and so forth. You can also set the time for K5 to shut down its function or turn off automatically, while setting the date and the time. The Settings menu also offers the language and other system-related functions.

The most intriguing feature you will find under the Settings menu is probably the screensaver. If you leave K5 idle for a specific period of time, K5 will automatically activate the screensaver you have previously selected. It can display the analogue clock, Animation 1, Animation 2, Animation 3, or other sets of photos you have set before. Although the Animations are attractive screensavers as well, I like the analogue clock the best, since it is the screensaver that displays the characteristics of K5 best, when K5 is put on a desk or bedside table and I have to watch it.

The More You See It, the More You Use It, the More You Will be Charmed by It.
At first, you might think of K5 just as an MP3 player that is heavier and blacker than other MP3 players on the market. It will not take you long, however, to realize how sophisticated and luxurious K5 is once you start using it. Just touch the device once, and you will be surprised by its high-end finish and texture. Slide the device open, and you will be naturally drawn to the speaker. The advanced displays and sparkling icons also attract your attention. Its sound will truly enchant your heart. K5 may not stand out at first sight, compared to other fluorescent-colored MP3 players. However, it combines only the essential and necessary functions and attracts users with its understated charm and magic. K5 will truly become your music mate and morning mate that you will cherish all the time.

Progress and Harmony: a Delicate and Delightful Task
In this age of the advancement and corporate-led commercialization of new technologies, we are indeed surrounded by more technological benefits than in any time of human history. Technology, not limited to only new gadgets and gimmicks, has come to radically transform our lives, and now even makes us feel the dignity and limitlessness of humanity itself. The MP3 player, which has become an integral part of our lives, is a good example of such technological progress and advancement. MP3 players on the current market feature countless special functions that had never been expected with other conventional sound devices. Today’s corporate world is also marked by the competition to achieve more progress in the newer and pragmatic technologies. There is one big challenge to this corporate competition, though: that is, the question of how to harmonize radically new technologies with products and how to make such products appeal to the general consumers. As a result, we often find that products with only advanced technologies (and that fail to understand the consumer mindset) can never become the top of the market. YP-T9, the latest product from Samsung Electronics, definitely stands out of the crowd for its perfection in terms of combining the task of technological advancement with the task of harmonizing such technology to serve consumers better. We have reviewed T9 to see what kind of product it is, and of what specific technological and consumerist characteristics it can boast.

Slim and Simple Package and Components
The package of T9 is as slim and compact as the main product itself. The package, which includes the outer, sleeve-like cover and the inner sleeve surrounded by the former, has a dark color outside and a pure white inside. On the right side of the package are the accessories for T9. These accessories include the bundled earphones, leather strap (for wearing the device around the neck), a 24-pin cable, the user’s manual and the installation CD. The EP-370 bundled earphones have garnered acclaim and praise from many critics, and have satisfied users of various ranges. The cable and leather strap are also of high-quality, thereby enhancing the overall design theme of T9.

Match between Slimness and Luxuriousness
What makes T9 stand out is its definite slimness. It is the slimness of the device that thrills you even more than its sophisticated design or style. The officially measured thickness of T9 is 11mm. It is much slimmer than T8, the predecessor of T9 that was 15.5mm thick. T9 is so far the slimmest of the models of YEPP.

T9 comes in two colors: black and purple. Black is one of the most frequently used colors to decorate digital products, but purple is radically new and experimental. One of the recent trends in the high-end electronic devices is to choose purple as the new color code. Considering such concepts as ‘rarity’ and ‘luxury’ purple conveys, purple T9 looks much more luxurious than its predecessors. Purple is a difficult color to handle, since it can also look incredibly tacky and cheap. However, the designers of T9 have succeeded in expressing the richness of the color, and the purple T9, with its slim design and sophisticated color, can easily mix in as a new fashion item, going beyond its function as an MP3 player. The silver lining covering both the left and right sides of the device as well as its bottom acts to lighten up the overall look of T9, which may look darker without such a little detail.

When you look at T9, you may think of its shape as a non-special rectangle whose ends are rounded. T9, however, inherits the sophisticated sleekness and beautiful curves that were first experimented with T8 and D1, and thus, boasts of a delicate look. T9 is also composed of one case except the navigation part, which adds to its highly finished, luxurious look.


The overall theme that defines the design of T9 is its sleek texture. Sleekness in electronic products has often associated with scratches, as exemplified by Ipod Nano. T9, however, is made of a poly-carbonate material that is highly resistant to scratches. T9 is also designed with the in-molding technique often used to finish high-end cars or laptop computers. The result is the overall thoroughness in the device’s finish.

The user-friendly display screen that used to decorate T8 and D1 can still be found with T9 as well. T9 is equipped with a 1.8-inch, 262K QCIF TFT LCD screen. Its resolution is 220 x 176 pixels, which is significantly higher than the resolution of 176 x 132 pixels for Ipod Nano and Ipod Nano Second Generation. T9, thus, allows the user to use a variety of multi-media files as well as GUI.

The navigation part is installed in the lower part of T9. The concave button in the middle is designed to fit the thumb, making the usage by the user that more convenient. In the outer part is a ring-shaped key. The key, with four arrows indicating the left, right, up and down, is user-friendly. This navigation part is also designed with curves that are wider in the bottom part to match the curved beauty of T9.

A silver line is decorating the left side of T9, emphasizing its slimness and curvature. The ‘hold’ switch is also protruding from he left side, while a few buttons are decorating the right side. On the top of T9 is the button for recording and interval repetition. This is also where other buttons, such as the ‘Previous’, ‘Menu’, ‘Play’, ‘Pause’, and ‘Power’, are located. The ‘Back’ button serves an important function for T9 with its unique, convenient user interface. Although T9 can be operated with the navigation key on the control menu, this navigation key is used as a track tracer key once the device starts playing music. Here, using the ‘Back’ key, the user can trace back the channel he underwent until he started playing music on T9. In other words, the ‘Back’ key works like the ‘undo’ key found in graphic programs or word-processing programs. This is a key feature that makes T9 all the more convenient and easier to use.

The holes for the built-in microphone and the earphones are located on the upper part of T9. The earphone terminal is 3.5π, a common size for earphone terminals in electronic devices. There is nothing that sticks out around this earphone terminal, so any type of earphones can easily be installed here. Until T9 came along, thin and slim electronic devices required users to get used to the smaller 2.5π earphone terminals. T9, however, has effectively solved this problem. In the middle, there is a hook for connecting the leather strap for wearing around the neck. This hook is big enough so that the user can hang his leather strap more easily.

In the lower part of the device is a terminal for charging and data-sending devices. An intricately designed cover is decorating this terminal, making T9 look more finished and sophisticated. This terminal cover is automatically rolled into the terminal when the terminal is being used. When the terminal is not being used, the cover automatically rolls out of the terminal to protect it.

The back is composed of sleek lines and surface without functional keys. It is covered with the UV film, making the device look sharper and neater. The screw on the corner is also completely covered so as to add to the overall completeness of the product.

Match between Slimness and Luxuriousness
T9 is a highly powerful, convenient, fun, and refreshingly new product whose every bit is finished with a high degree of sophistication and efforts. The title of the project that resulted in this product was actually ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The product designers and planners have put their best efforts into creating a product that enables the user to experience a new and diverse world. Inspired by such confidence and competence of the T9 designers, we have reviewed what kind of new experience T9 offers us.

What makes T9 attractive is the wide range of diverse and exotic color display it offers. Set the color theme on the ‘Screen Setting’ menu as ‘random’, and you will see the desktop background turn in five colors every time you turn the device on. This is what makes T9 so much more colorful and diverse. If you do not like this random setting, you can choose one of blue, green, orange, pink, and purple as a constant color theme. Each vivid color makes the display screen of T9 more interesting. The color theme you have chosen is shown not only on the main menu, but also in the display effects for playing files and searching files. The flash-based screen display captures natural movements as well.

Another aspect of T9 that stands out in addition to its color themes is the GUI. Turn the device on, and you will see the GUI composed of colors either designated by the user or selected on a random basis. The navigation of T9, titled ‘Metaphor Navigation’, allows the user to move up or down the oval-shaped icons that visibly stand out, while the smaller oval shapes on the left of the icon the user has selected indicates on which menu the user is currently located and how many more icons (functions) are preceding and following that icon. The big icons, along with the white icons indicating the functions of the chosen icons, also indicate the names of the menus (functions) chosen. In particular, on the right side of the icons with submenus, another icon that looks as if cut in the middle is shown so that the user can see he can enter the submenu of the icon he has chosen. The user can click either the central button or the track key on the right side to enter the menu he wants. Once the user enters the menu, the color of that menu’s icon dissolves like an ink in water to show the list or functions of that menu. The dissolved color collects itself again to re-form the icon. The user can search for other files or use other functions by pressing the ‘Back button, even while he is listening to music or watching a video file. For instance, the user can press the ‘Back’ button or the previous-track key while listening to music which he has chosen on the menu when he was listening to the FM radio to trace back the steps he has taken to get to the current menu. What makes this Metaphor Navigation even more attractive is Adobe Flash Light, which was used as the basic engine to construct the screen. The dynamicity, speed, the vector-basis with which various video files and games are played on the Internet are also shown in the vivid and colorful screen display of T9.

T9 is designed in such a way that it emits various sound effects when the user is moving on about the menu or chooses a particular menu. Other MP3 players also play beep sounds, but what makes T9 special is the variation in the tones in which various beeps are played. These beeps also resonate deeply, making them sound much richer and refreshingly newer than beeps played by other MP3 players. These beeps are also designed to sound with different volumes when the user is moving on the menus while listening to music or radio on his T9 so that those beeps would not sound too obstructive or annoying to the user.

One of the most basic functions of T9 is to play music. Play a music file on T9, and you will see a dynamic display on your 1.8-inch screen. Thanks to the small size of the letters displayed on the upper corner of the screen, the middle part remains relatively large and wide even when the file name and the play status bar are indicated in the lower corner. This middle part is designed to indicate the display designated on the ‘Music Background Image’ under the ‘Screen Display Setting Menu’. The graphic images this particular model of T9 offers include: the spectrum analyzer that displays varying graphs based on the analysis of the levels and frequencies of the tones; the oval-shaped flash analyzer that express the data on the music being played in an image of raindrops; and another flash analyzer that makes the entire screen look like a speaker. These dynamic, lively images are activated by the flash-basis as in the case of the GUI, which makes each image flawless and active. There is a limit to re-constructing these dynamic moving messages with still photos. The only way to see how flawless, active, and dynamic these images are is to actually see the spectrum analyzer of T9. The user can also select his favorite album jacket or photograph as the background for playing music. T9 is an excellent music player, despite its wide screen and slimness, because it uses a built-in lithium polymer batter of 720mAh that affords up to 30 hours of music playing.

While listening to music, the user can press the ‘Menu’ button to see the submenus that allow the user to adjust the settings for playing music on T9. The user can choose from the menu: the ‘Street Mode’, which enhances the sound so that the user can listen to it without being annoyed while staying outside; the DNSE for the settings relating to playing music; and other various functions all on one screen. The originality of T9 can also be seen in that the ‘Music Background Image’ menu can be selected with a click of the Menu button on the ‘Settings -> Image Settings’. Under the Control section are more menus for more detailed options. These options allow the user to adjust the 3D and bass on the DNSE and the tone of the music using the 9-band user equalizer.

The 1.8-inch screen may seem a bit too wide to display the FM radio images. The graphic effects, however, allow for sophisticated mixture of colors and smooth movements downward, making the screen look neat and spacious. The page for the FM radio mode indicates the time, Bluetooth function, and the remaining battery in the upper corner. The user can adjust the frequency using the track keys on the left and the right when listening to the FM radio. The user can either search for a radio station using the ‘Manual’ mode, or preset the settings. The user can view the ‘Manual’ and the ‘Preset’ menu by clicking the ‘Menu’ button while listening to the FM radio and can add the current radio station to the preset list. The user can also search for a particular station and add it to his preset list. He can also select the region of the FM radio reception and the sensitivity with which to receive the signals. Where the user just wants to view the preset and the manual modes, he can click the central selection button on the navigation key. T9 receives quite many FM radio signals, and will keep a good company of the user who listens to the radio all the time.

T9, the latest MP3 player of Samsung, is basically equipped with Bluetooth function. Equipped with the latest Bluetooth version, V1.2, T9 offers reliable sound quality and performance, enabling the user to have fun while wireless-networking. If you have a home audio set equipped with Bluetooth, you can listen to the music through your home-audio speaker set after you return home from a brief trip outside during which you had left the music on. Car audio sets with Bluetooth also allow you to listen to music without wires. Although there are not that many car audio sets equipped with Bluetooth as of yet – except such models as Pioneer DEH-P9850MP headunit – more and more products will adopt the function as the number of users looking for updated Bluetooth increases.

It is not at all difficult to use Bluetooth function. Because T9 prides itself on having Bluetooth, the Bluetooth icon will appear, inactivated, on the upper corner of the screen constantly. Select ‘Bluetooth’ on the menu to activate it or to search for relevant devices. Once you turn the Bluetooth mode on, the Bluetooth icon will activate, allowing you to search for Bluetooth devices that can be connected to T9. Here, you need to enter a PIN. Do not forget to have all such devices under the ‘Pairing’ mode when connecting them to your T9.

Once T9 recognizes the connected device, the Bluetooth icon changes its shape to let the user know that the connected device can be used under the Bluetooth mode. I once connected icombi Bluetooth headset to T9 to listen to music without wires. As shown in the photo, a headset appeared around the Bluetooth icon and I was able to listen to music on T0 through the icombi headset. This process of pairing is recognized in a really short while. The Bluetooth function allows for a reliable wireless networking environment that can cover a range between room and room in an apartment built with thick concrete walls. The only thing of concern is that activating Bluetooth consumes power much more quickly than just playing music: you can use T9 with Bluetooth on for about six hours. This is common with all other electronic devices offering the Bluetooth function. Because Bluetooth has yet to be popularized, earphones and headsets with excellent performance and designs have yet to be invented. Samsung Electronics, however, is said to be engaged in a process of developing various models of electronic devices with Bluetooth, and their ambitious projects excite us.

T9, with its highly functional display, comes to its best when playing video files. Whereas Z5F was praised for its superb music playing function, T9 has an enhanced display function that is the best for playing video files. T9, which activates MPEG4-format video files at 15 frames a second, raises the bit rate of a video file up to 400Kbps, securing a wide range of bandwidth. This is what allows for the excellent display quality T9 has. Play a video file on T9 and it will display it in a wide screen. The navigation key also provides the ‘Pivot’ function to suit the wide screen better and make it easier for the user to use. The display is bright, clear, vivid, and colorful. Various keys and buttons also allow the user to view the time, the battery status, the title of the file being played, and the play status bar while also watching the video. Even the subtitles come out as clear and visible. Subtitles of the smallest fonts are enhanced by shadows for easier viewing. T9 can play up to 6 hours of video files, so you can watch at least two video files using T9.

The user can bookmark a certain passage or interval of a video file by pressing the ‘Recording and Interval Repetition Button’ while the file is playing. He then can move to the bookmarked part or delete bookmarks using the ‘Menu’ button which also provides the ‘Delete’ menu. A selected bookmark is indicated by a short, red line across the play status bar in the lower corner.

One of the core functions of T9 is the text viewing function. The user, who has discovered how clearly and visibly T9 displays subtitles while playing video files, will not be so surprised by the superb text viewing function it provides. Even the first image that appears after activating the Text Viewer is impressive. The text is written in fonts that are a bit convex on the pre-selected bluish background so that it is easier to read and less tiring to the eye. A total of 10 lines – each line consisting of 13 letters – are displayed on one page. The percent-type bar in the lower corner allows the viewer to check which part of the text he is at. The user can move to the next page or line by clicking the left and right sides of the navigation tact key. The user can change the settings by clicking the ‘Menu’ button on the Text Viewer display. By pressing the central selection button on the navigation key, the user can also change both the page and the line simultaneously. The user can have the text viewer background display change on a random basis each time he activates it, or select one of the five colors (blue, green, orange, pink, and purple) to be displayed constantly. The Text Viewer menu provides the pivot function so that the viewer can choose either the horizontal mode or the vertical one under which to view the text. The pivot function does not alter the amount of text presented at once, but enables the viewer to read the text with more ease. Of course, T9 also lets the user to listen to music while reading his text.

Photo Viewer is another key feature of T9. This menu shows three little thumbnails on the right and the bigger, selected thumbnail on the left, while displaying the title and location of the selected photo file in the lower corner. The user can view the image in the entire screen by clicking the image with the central button. He can then view the next or previous image or adjust the volume of the music or radio program he is listening to while viewing those images using the navigation key. The user can also enlarge the image by 100%, 200%, or 400% by clicking the central button while viewing the images. An enlarged image can be viewed in parts by lowering or raising the scroll on the side. The images may be displayed in a slide show or enlarged when the user presses the ‘Menu’ button for a few seconds while using the Photo Viewer function. The same button also shows the menus with which the user can select the image he was viewing as the background image for playing music.

You are mistaken if you thought only the visual images of the flash-based game in T9 have become more dynamic. For one thing, there is the graphic analyzer, which is even more dynamic than that displayed when playing music; scrolling is much smoother after enlarging the image while using the Photo Viewer function; the conversion to the GUI display is flawless, too. All these features make T9 look even more sophisticated. The flash used in T9 is especially great for games. T9 comes with two games, BaseBall and Pizza Delivery. Samsung has announced that it will provide services for T9 users so that they can download more games onto their devices later on. The flash games with which T9 is equipped show much smoother and faster movements of images than did other bitmap-based mobile games. Because these flash games are based on the vector, their overall quality is superb as well.


Accessories don’t make you feel alienated.
One of the main reasons Ipods are so popular among users of various backgrounds is the variety of charming accessories Ipods have introduced to users. Some of these accessories that complement and supplement Ipods may be insignificant or minor; others may provide powerful enough a reason to buy an Ipod. It should be admitted that the products from Samsung have not been as active in introducing various accessories. T9 is, thus, an ambitious project of Samsung in that it has prepared various accessories from the beginning stage of the product development process in cooperation with Belkin, a world-renowned company of Ipod accessories and other computer-peripheral devices. T9 users can also benefit from accessories Samsung has already introduced to the market. The armband for T9 I have used is highly solid and has a beautiful design that makes itself an attractive fashion item.

I have briefly reviewed the armband, one of the various accessories for T9. The Velcro band is thick and highly durable. The attached hook also makes it easier to adjust the length. The belt-clip on the part of the armband that holds the device makes the armband all the more valuable. This metallic belt-clip is highly durable and can be easily fixed to any part of the armband, while its magnetic upper cover can be easily opened and closed. The perforated surface has a decorative print pattern. The earphone terminal in the upper part of T9 and the charging and data-sending terminal in the lower part are left exposed so that they can be easily used even when the user is wearing it with his armband.

A variety of experience is turned into a great resource.
Samsung Electronics has designed, developed, and produced countless products. The media, however, have not been so favorable toward these new attempts by Samsung Electronics, trying to figure out ahead whether such efforts of Samsung are profitable or fruitful. We know, however, from our experience that it is the variety and diversity of our experience that sometimes provides us with the best lessons. The latest products from Samsung Electronics, Z5F and T9, contain so many fun and superb functions and features for users that they almost seem to state “All the previous products and attempts of Samsung were to create these two new models.” This is the new beginning for Samsung Electronics: the latest products seem to hint at how tremendous a transformation the YEPP line-up will undergo from now on. T9 is a work of art that is satisfactory in its every bit. It is thrilling just trying to guess how much more later products from Samsung will advance.