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What's The Best Non-iPod/Non-Apple MP3/Media Player?

This article is more than 10 years old.

Think MP3 player -- or the more modern equivalent, the media player -- and most people think about Apple's iPod. But there are other devices on the market, and people want them.

I want something to play music -- and, if possible videos -- on when I'm at the gym, going for walks, or in the car. All my friends say I should go for an iPod but I'd rather something a little different.

Any suggestions?

Probably the best non-iPod media player on the market is Samsung's Galaxy Player. If Samsung's Galaxy SIII is the Korean company's answer to the iPhone 5, the Galaxy Player is Samsung's answer to the iPod touch.

The Galaxy Player comes in four screen sizes, at four different price points (prices as of today on Amazon.com, and yes, the prices are a bit skewed):

  • 3.6-inch (480x320) - around $150
  • 4-inch (800x480) - $235
  • 4.2-inch (800x480) - $179
  • 5-inch (800x480) - $209

All four are powered by Android 2.3 'Gingerbread' (a pretty old version) and are capable of running thousands of Android apps, all have 8GB of storage (expandable to 32GB using a microSD card), touchscreen control, and a combination of front and rear-facing cameras.

The upsides compared to Apple's iPod touch is that these players are cheaper, and keep you out of Apple's clutches. The downsides are that you're getting an archaic version of Android, and the screen on the iPod touch is much better.

You pays your money ...