Picked up my SGP 4.2 today from Best Buy

[puddnhead]

oops, double post

[CrowdAds]

[puddnhead]

Originally Posted by jetracer

I have my 4.2 player for 2 days and so far I am quite happy with the sound quality and the ease of use.

The speakers & screen are the killer app on this. Two of my daughters friends went from "don't let your dad make you get that instead of an iPod Touch!" to "Mom, Dad, I want one of those too, can I trade in the touch?" in one weekend, lol. (BTW, those parents will probably be pissed at me now!)

Many people here are so tied to their own POV that they've labeled this device a failure just because it has a slower GPU. You guys just don't get it, you are not Samsung's target market for this device, they could care less that you hate it. I think I've seen the target audience, and so far they love this thing. Only question is, will Samsung market it?

[steinburger1109]

I'm really not sure who you are ranting at because there really hasn't been any bitching in this thread, but you are so wrong. Just because your children don't know the difference between outdated and up to date hardware doesn't make them the mystical target audience, and just because someone dislikes it doesn't make Samsung not give a shit about them.

[Johnsmith11]

Originally Posted by puddnhead

The speakers & screen are the killer app on this. Two of my daughters friends went from "don't let your dad make you get that instead of an iPod Touch!" to "Mom, Dad, I want one of those too, can I trade in the touch?" in one weekend, lol. (BTW, those parents will probably be pissed at me now!)

Many people here are so tied to their own POV that they've labeled this device a failure just because it has a slower GPU. You guys just don't get it, you are not Samsung's target market for this device, they could care less that you hate it. I think I've seen the target audience, and so far they love this thing. Only question is, will Samsung market it?

Ummmmm what r u talking about??? This device was advertised by samsung as "best of android gaming"

[rangel28]

Originally Posted by puddnhead
The speakers & screen are the killer app on this. Two of my daughters friends went from "don't let your dad make you get that instead of an iPod Touch!" to "Mom, Dad, I want one of those too, can I trade in the touch?" in one weekend, lol. (BTW, those parents will probably be pissed at me now!)

Many people here are so tied to their own POV that they've labeled this device a failure just because it has a slower GPU. You guys just don't get it, you are not Samsung's target market for this device, they could care less that you hate it. I think I've seen the target audience, and so far they love this thing. Only question is, will Samsung market it?

I totally agree. I received mine on Friday and played with it all weekend and am very pleased with this device. I'm not sure I understand why Samsung released 3.6, 4.0, 4.2, and 5.0 Galaxy players, and I don't think they will spend much if anything on marketing, since many people are now using their phones as music players.

That being said, I think the 4.2, or any of the Galaxy players, will appeal to someone looking for an iPod alternative. There are people who want a replaceable battery, customizable sound, a micro sd slot, etc. I don't think Samsung was thinking owners of the 4.0 or 5.0 would buy the 4.2. I think they are trying to appeal to as many consumers as possible.

I don't have the 4.0 or 5.0, so the GPU speed on the 4.2 is fine for me. My primary concern is music and sound, and the ability to browse the Web, and for those purposes the Galaxy 4.2 is fine. I loaded Poweramp, and the Galaxy's sound is a big improvement over an iPod Touch. I haven't tried any of the preloaded games (Need for Speed and FIFA 12), but I would imagine these would play okay on the 4.2, or Samsung wouldn't have preloaded them.

[Olley]

I'll guess that Samsung makes the screens for all the phones and media players it sells, and once the software is ready it is easy for them to make device in just about any size it wants. How to know which size will sell the best in a given area? Make every size available and see which size sells the best.

[barryem]

I got my Player 4.2 this morning. I've been using a Player 4.0. I also have a 5.0, although it's a bit heavy for my shirt pocket so I don't use it a lot.

I bought the 4.2 hoping for a bit larger screen and better speakers. I liked the 4.0 a lot so I wasn't sure if I was making a mistake but I took a chance. This thing is a lot better than the already excellent 4.0. It'd almost the same physical size except quite a bit thinner. And quite a bit lighter. My shirt pocket is quite happy.

I've watched a TV show on it from a .avi file. It played just fine. I've played a number of games, all of which played as good on this as on the 4.0. None were 3D games but I don't play many of those on a screen this small anyway. I'm not sure if I really care about that.

I do have a couple of disappointments. The hardware home button is one. It's not a serious issue but I'd rather it was capacitive. That it's black is another. I thought it was going to be white. I'm not sure if that was a mistake on Amazon's part or just the color it comes in. I don't care enough to look into it.

The other disappointment is a little more serious: I can't change the icons on the task bar. I have the 4.0 taskbar the way I like it and I can't find a way to change this one. If that's the way it is, okay. But I hope I just haven't found the way to do it yet.

All in all this is every bit as good in every way as the 4.0 and better in some ways. Sound is a lot better. That little extra screen size makes a big difference. And it's lighter in my pocket.

If the specs are accurate this will get close to twice the battery life of the 4.0. I've used it all day but I had it plugged in enough that I can't really be sure yet. Offhand I'd say it's a lot better. In any case I've already ordered a spare battery for it.

I'm sure when the next player comes along this will seem sort of dull but at the moment it's just about the perfect player. I'm overjoyed.

Barry

[da1writer]

After seeing this...

http://youtu.be/8UTPWkKizLY

I'm now at a loss/ confused state. I like the 4.2 due to the thinner/slick body (looks like an actually mp3 player instead of a phone like 4.0), stereo front speakers,overall black body (which I like), and snappier interface/performance I've seen (probably due to Touchwiz 4.0 vs 3.0). Even though it's not written in stone, 4.2 was also stated by Samsung to get an ics update later - the Android version I absolutely love!

4.0/5.0 have not gotten any word on an ics upgrade later or even at all, which troubles me. Even though I'm alright with downgrading to Gingerbread, I'm scared with the factor of just being stuck there in that version until a newer Samsung player comes out. Rooting and using a custom rom/bootloader is something I'm not ready to jump in yet, seems like a lot of work to try to install as well - which seem the only way I'll get any sort of updated upgrades.

That new Amazon price point ( $140 for the 4.0 vs $199 for the 4.2 ) and this review has me swaying back and forth. Father's day is not so far away and this decision of mine can't be rewound. Although gaming and the camera is not important to me - I also want to be sure I'm grabbing the right one. I'm glad the 5.0 is not even in my sight whatsoever due to my Playstation Vita (which is also why I'm not interested in gaming on the Galaxy Players).

This is a fight between the 4.0 and 4.2 for me - it would be helpful if there was more reviews beside the 3 on amazon, the only Galaxy Player 4.2 video review is asktheandroidguy, and there are very few 4.0 owners that also own the 4.2 (now) that have voice their opinions... ugh...

[Goucham]

Originally Posted by da1writer

I like the 4.2 due to the thinner/slick body (looks like an actually mp3 player instead of a phone like 4.0)

I believe they also killed the proximity sensor this time around so it really is more of an MP3 player. The front stereo speakers are a great change but honestly, if you are using this to listen to music you'll probably be using headphones or external speakers anyway.

Even though it's not written in stone, 4.2 was also stated by Samsung to get an ics update later - the Android version I absolutely love!

Ask yourself this question; in the context of an MP3 player, what is it that ICS gives you that the bundled version of Gingerbread does not? Or put another way, if the device was never upgraded what would you not be able to do?

Although gaming and the camera is not important to me - I also want to be sure I'm grabbing the right one.

Features you will never use should not be a factor. The camera is still useful for scanning QR/bar codes but I imagine either would work for that. Speaking of cameras, has anyone mentioned what the video capture capabilities of the 4.2 are?

and there are very few 4.0 owners that also own the 4.2 (now)

I can't imagine many 4.0 owners, like myself, would fee compelled to swap one for the other. I don't think there is anything wrong with the 4.2, it just isn't an upgrade over what I have now.

Do you have the option of viewing/purchasing the device in a store with a liberal return policy?

[steinburger1109]

Originally Posted by Goucham

Ask yourself this question; in the context of an MP3 player, what is it that ICS gives you that the bundled version of Gingerbread does not? Or put another way, if the device was never upgraded what would you not be able to do?

For me, first and foremost, it doesn't look like a gimmicky toy, which, IMO, 2.3 does. There's also a fair amount more flexibility in settings.

[da1writer]

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

For me, first and foremost, it doesn't look like a gimmicky toy, which, IMO, 2.3 does. There's also a fair amount more flexibility in settings.

I agree, once you use Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), it's kinda hard to look back at the Gingerbread and below versions of Android. Find a tablet or phone that has ICS (hacked in or not), so many settings are more available at your fingertips and feels alot more like a Windows PC interface. I'm not saying Gingerbread is bad/horrible - just something very different that I'm accustomed to.

@Goucham: Besides my answer above, I also disagree with the speakers a little bit. I'm probably not going to use them all the time and most likely will use my headphones like you mentioned. The speakers are a bit important to me though as I use to use my J3's [mono] speaker at work to listen to my podcasts/music, headphones are an instant pink slip on the floor at my plant.

I'm still not full-on the 4.2 though, I'm still at odds with maybe wanting the 4.0. While the 4.2 may have "better" speakers, they are both stereo and already an upgrade over the J3's Mono speaker. While I mentioned that Gaming and the camera aren't important, I'm currently re-evaluating the prospect as I'm at a crossroads of maybe going back to a Windows PC (Sager np6110... yeah, I like small laptops) - I'm currently using a Android tablet/Laptop hybrid (Asus Transformer Prime w/ Keyboard dock). If this happens I really don't want to lose too much of the Android apps and games I currently use.

Finally, I'm at odds a bit with the price... If another line of Samsung Galaxy Players come out (yearly update), I really don't want to toss too much money on a "throwaway" device. That's why the 4.0's current Amazon price ($140) intrigues me a bit over the full price of the 4.2 ($199) - even with a $40 discount...

I wish Bestbuy had all the models out to play with - my local ones still don't have the 4.2 on their floors; only the 3.6, 4.0, and 5.0 (Two places in the store displayed the 5.0 for crying out loud).

P.S. I've only seen/read one person here (a little bit above this posting) who owns all models (beside the 3.6), just wish there were more people like this that voiced their opinion on their thoughts between the devices... Hopefully The Verge picks one up for review and comparison as they currently own the 3.6, 4.0, and 5.0. I know, that site did review all the models so far and said they're crap but still would like the comparison for more references to work with beside asktheandroidguy...

[Goucham]

Originally Posted by da1writer

I agree, once you use Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), it's kinda hard to look back at the Gingerbread and below ... so many settings are more available at your fingertips

I guess this all comes down to usage patterns because I spend more time in the apps than the shell. For me, ICS is a means to an end. The underlying OS will only become an issue when developers start optimizing or building apps exclusively for ICS (or the next Android OS coming down the line.)

While the 4.2 may have "better" speakers, they are both stereo and already an upgrade over the J3's Mono speaker.

IMHO stereo is a wash on speakers this small but volume and placement are key. Still, it is nice to have a choice I suppose.

Finally, I'm at odds a bit with the price... If another line of Samsung Galaxy Players come out (yearly update), I really don't want to toss too much money on a "throwaway" device.

Now you may be on to something there. On the other hand, if it does what you need it to do, why would you need to update it just because Samsung has releases another one?

I wish Bestbuy had all the models out to play with - my local ones still don't have the 4.2 on their floors; only the 3.6, 4.0, and 5.0

Give it a week or so. It was just released after all. Patience and all that.

Hopefully The Verge picks one up for review and comparison

I hope not. If you are reviewing a media player and your stance is why are you buying a music player when you could buy a phone instead then you have missed the point and are just wasting people's time (oh that review still annoys me.)

[da1writer]

Originally Posted by Goucham

I hope not. If you are reviewing a media player and your stance is why are you buying a music player when you could buy a phone instead then you have missed the point and are just wasting people's time (oh that review still annoys me.)

The Verge didn't even like any of the Samsung Galaxy Players but guess what The Verge - I still want one. They didn't even sway my stance, I just like to read as many reviews on a product as possible to get a general idea what I'm getting myself into. I'm pretty sure they will also hate the 4.2 but I also like to read their review/comparison for a good laugh !

Also, thanks for replying to my posts and giving your view. As I'm on the fence Samsung Galaxy player wannabe owner (phew), deciding between the 4.0 and 4.2 has been nerve racking. Undecided still but you guys here are at least helping me make my decision alot easier (I am slowly drifting towards the 4.0 but still not entirely positive in getting it).

[Marvin the Martian]

I've quite enjoyed my SGP 5.0 since I got it. The current awesome price on the 4.0 would make me choose that over the 4.2, if I was buying one of them now.

Then again, I'm not hung up on ICS either. I managed to get a different ROM on my 5.0 once, so I'm sure at some point I'll be able to do it again if I get bored with it the way it is now.

Just found a review of the 4.2.....
http://www.trustedreviews.com/samsun...e-Audio_review

[brosko]

I would go with the 4.0 cant beat the price for such a nice player

[barryem]

I have ICS on my Asus Transformer and I like it but I'm okay with 2.3. They both work just fine.

As for the speakers, they're great for watching a video. They're fine for listening to an audiobook. I like listening to old time radio shows and audiodrama. There are a LOT of uses for a speaker if it's loud enough to hear.

Barry

[jmandawg]

Can anyone comment on the loudness of the speakers compared to the 5.0 (which one is louder). And how long does the battery last when watching movies?

I'm Considering picking up the 4.2, my 5.0 been sent in for repairs around 4 weeks ago, and samsung still hasn't shipped it back.

Thanks.

[Daniel644]

Originally Posted by brosko

I would go with the 4.0 cant beat the price for such a nice player

At the current price difference you could get a 4.0, a 32GB microsd card and a spare battery for the cost of the 4.2
Just throwing that out there, If the 4.2 was out last november/december when I bought my 4.0 I would be like you and might be willing to go the extra cost for the higher capacity battery, but something else to toss out is, we also have no idea how long its gonna be before there will be custom kernels and ROMs to take full advantage of the player so if things like that interest you, thats something to consider.

[da1writer]

My local Best Buy finally got the 4.2 in and wow! When my Best Buy only had the 4.0 and 5.0 (and 3.6), I liked the devices but it wasn't a "I'm gonna buy this [4.0] and don't care how much my wife scolds me". Today when I held the 4.2 in my hands, that very thought came into my mind. The songs on the player were much louder and clearer due to the [proper] front stereo speakers compared to the 4.0 - even with both at the loudest setting the 4.2 came up on top imo. The ui was pretty fast as well on the 4.2 like the 4.0 but due to the slight screen size difference, it appears that the 4.2 had more screen space for [easier] typing one handed for addresses better than the 4.0 (which was a little bit cramped in my big hands). The 4.2 was also a bit more appealing design with it's very thin body and speaker placement - it looked very much like a proper mp3 player that suited my tastes (the 4.0/5.0/3.6 were a bit confusing as they looked just like a phone minus the phone functions). Both screens btw looked pretty clear and sharp, so the only factor for me was the wide viewing angles on the 4.2 due to the IPS screen. Despite the "fixed Focus" on the 4.2, it still scans qr codes and bar codes just fine, which is what I would even bother with the camera for anyway.

So after playing with the 4.0 and 4.2, the Galaxy Player I'm going to get is the 4.2. It has all the appealing factors for me and heck, my wife is buying it for my Father's Day gift, so the price isn't the problem for me at all, it's still pretty affordable. User reviews so far have been positive on the 4.2 too, super excited to get it!

[barryem]

Originally Posted by jmandawg

Can anyone comment on the loudness of the speakers compared to the 5.0 (which one is louder). And how long does the battery last when watching movies?

I'm Considering picking up the 4.2, my 5.0 been sent in for repairs around 4 weeks ago, and samsung still hasn't shipped it back.

Thanks.

I just did a little comparison for you and the results surprised me a bit. I have the 4.0, 5.0 and 4.2. I put the same song on all three and listened.

The 5.0 is the loudest. That was my big surprise. I knew it was loud but I hadn't realized it was louder than the others.

Next, if you're looking at the screen on both players, is the 4.2. If you turn the 4.0 around so the speaker is facing you, though, then it's as loud or maybe even slightly louder.

However, for clarity the 4.2 wins. It has better and clearer speakers than either of the others. So I was wrong that it's the loudest but it's still the one I'd chose to listen to, all other things being equal.

When watching a video, of course, you can't turn the 4.0 around to face the speaker and get that extra volume. By the way, the 5.0 is also much louder when you face the speaker but my comparison was while looking at the screen since that's how i'm more likely to use it.

I also want to correct my earlier comment about there not being a way to change the items in the taskbar. I finally was able to do that by hitting Applications and then Menu and then Edit. It seems obvious now but for some reason I didn't think to try that earlier.

Barry