Imagine carrying 1,000 songs of your choice in your pocket. That’s just what an MP3 player is. It’s a device that allows you to download, store and listen to music in a portable fashion. With today’s technology, you can also watch videos and go online with your MP3. Before you decide to purchase an MP3, it is best to consider how and what you will need this device for. If you are only interested in listening to music with your MP3, it may not be worth it to spend the extra money on an MP3 that provides you with all the extra features. However, if you prefer a touch screen, or need to be connected to the internet, you will want to go with a pricier option. Read on to find out which MP3 suits you best.
I-POD TOUCH: The I-pod touch is Apple’s most current and up to date MP3 player in today’s market. It has a pretty large screen (3.5 inch) which can be useful to you if you are mainly using it during a ride to work or at the gym. It allows you to watch movies and chat with video. The battery life is excellent on this device (about 40 hours). However, if you use the I-pod Touch to browse the web, the battery life will be reduced to about 20 hours. Still, if you travel allot you need to consider battery life when choosing an MP3 player. Additionally, if you are always on the run, you may like all the extra features this product comes with such as a camera and ability to connect to the internet. If you are on a budget, you may need to look elsewhere. This product will run you about $300 dollars for 32GB. The reason it’s so expensive is because of all the extra features. If you are looking for a plain MP3 player, this is not the right product for you.
SANSADISK SANSA CLIP: The Sansa Clip is a simple MP3. You want to hear music? This is exactly what the Sansa Clip can do. The screen is about 1 inch and the entire device is less than 2 inches tall. The Sansa Clip is wearable so when you are at the gym or shopping you don’t need to feel like you are carrying yet another electronic device in your bag or pockets. It also has FM radio and comes with an SD memory card slot. This allows the player to expand the memory if need be. The price of the Sansa Clip is also very reasonable. You can get 2GB for about $30 dollars, 4GB for about $40 dollars or 8GB for $60 dollars. These prices are extremely competitive. Some of the cons of the Sansa Clip are the FM radio quality and the small screen. Some consumers have complained that the small screen makes reading the text difficult. The battery life is also not great. It’s about 8 hours. However, if you just use it for an hour or two a day, this would still work for you.
I-POD SHUFFLE: If small is your top priority, and then go with this MP3 player. The device weighs less than a half an ounce. It’s good for taking anywhere without weighing you down. 2GB of memory will run you about $50 dollars. The reason it’s called the “shuffle” is because you can create playlists and then when you play them back, it will shuffle the songs around in random order. Because it’s so small, you may find that when you try to clip it on, you accidentally push other buttons or even turn the device off. Also, there is no screen; it’s all audio enhanced.
SAMSUNG P3: This device offers a sleek and sturdy design with a full color 3 inch touch screen. It has other features such a Bluetooth, FM radio and voice recording. The Samsung comes in 3 different memory grades. The 8GB which run about $150 Dollars, the 16GB which runs about $200 Dollars and the 32GB which will run about $300 Dollars. The sound quality is excellent on this MP3 player. Sometimes to get good quality sound, you need to upgrade your headphones which can be pricey. With the Samsung, you get excellent sound quality with the headphones provided. The battery life is also impressive; it’s about 30 hours for audio and 5 hours for video. If you are using the P3 as a multi-purpose device, you should be aware that there is no WiFi. You will still have to bring along another device that has internet connectivity which may already have your music saved on it. This is a good alternative if you are just taking a run or need to relax to some music while strolling around in the park.
MICROSOFT ZUNE HD: The Zune is also a touch screen MP3 player. It boasts a 3.3 inch screen and is a less expensive alternative to the I-pod touch or the Samsung P3. The touch screen is very responsive and the picture and video are excellent quality. The Zune also has an integrated FM radio, WiFi and HD video output. A 16Gb memory MP3 will run about $180 Dollars. This product, however, has yet to be perfected. The sound quality is not great and the web browsing experience is slow. Compared to I-pod or Samsung, there are very few apps and games.
Your boring commute to work or exercise routine is about to come to end as you are now equipped to make a choice about which MP3 player is right for you. They are all devices that will play your music selection. Some have extra features while others will just play your music. Now that you have all your information regarding the top MP3 players of 2011 you can make your purchase with confidence. Happy Listening.
