We just returned from Samsung’s 2011 spring lineup press conference. During it, Samsung announced 4-inch and 5-inch models of its Galaxy Player personal media device. It’s not the first time we’ve heard of the Galaxy Player, we had some hands-on time during Mobile World Congress, but we finally have confirmation that the two models will land in the United States. Clearly, the two are meant to compete with other PMPs such as the iPod touch, as both models run Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). We think the duo will serve as compelling mini-tablets an a solid iPod touch alternative (since the Zune is fading into the ether). In many ways, the devices felt like smaller versions of the Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi edition. They have similar features, too — such as a 3.2-megapixel rear-facing camera with flash, and a front-facing VGA camera for video chat using Qik. Both models felt very light, albeit sturdy, in the hand. Both also offer 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, stereo speakers, support for Adobe Flash 10.1, and AllShare with DLNA support that allows you to stream media content to other DLNA certified devices — such as TVs or consoles.
While pricing for the Galaxy Tab player models was not announced, we suspect both will be more affordable than the larger 7-inch Galaxy Tab. If you already own a Galaxy S phone, which sports a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, a 5MP camera, and more, then the 4-inch model is probably not going to be up your alley. However, we were impressed by the pocketability and size of the 5-inch version. Hit up our gallery to take a closer look at the Galaxy Player.
