Product Reviews

The Samsung YP-P2 is a stylish and relatively inexpensive alternative to Apple's iPod touch. Our review unit was 2GB, but the 8GB version still costs about £70 less than the equivalent iPod touch. So what's been sacrificed?

Surprisingly little, we found. The main difference is that there's no WiFi, so you can't browse the web and download tracks directly from online music services. However, the P2 does have a talent of its own: Bluetooth. You could treat yourself to a pair of Bluetooth earphones and enjoy your music without wires, and still have change to spare from the price of Apple's touchscreen player. We used Philips' SHB6102 headset and found

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it was simple to pair with the YP-P2. The two devices stayed connected, and our music continued to play, even when we strayed up to ten metres away.

Sound quality was superb, too, although the same wasn't true with the basic in-ear phones that Samsung supplies. We got about 7.5 hours of audio play from a battery charge using Bluetooth, and double that without - reasonable, but nowhere near the claimed 35 hours. Only a USB charger is included, as with most competitors, but you can pick up a mains charger online for around £8.

The YP-P2 plays MP3 and WMA audio files, and can also handle protected WMA, which is relatively unusual. MPEG-4 video playback is possible, but annoyingly you're forced to use the supplied conversion software to do this. However, you can drag and drop music files directly onto the player.

The touchscreen interface, although easy to use, isn't up to Apple standards. We often found ourselves prodding menu items more than once, which was frustrating. However, the display's clarity and contrast is outstanding, and it isn't easily activated accidentally when left in a pocket.

If you don't feel the need for WiFi, this is an attractive and affordable player. It's also available in white and purple.