Musical DJ T10

The Samsung T10 is built as the successor to the T9 MP3 player, but there is minimal similarity between the two except its heritage. Where the T9 is bulky and round, the T10 sports a smaller footprint and is targeted at the more fashion conscious crowd. Our unit arrived clad in a glossy black finish, complete with touch sensitive soft keys for controls. Unlike the T9's series of buttons along its side, the T10 has but one physical button. The only things breaking its smooth surface are the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack and a USB port.

As for all glossy tech devices out in the market these days, the T10 is undeniably prone to being smudged up by fingerprints and oil after being handled, so it goes without saying that you will need a pouch or carrying case to go along with it.

Undeniable Features

Switching on the T10, you can select between three user interface styles: Pendant, Sammy, or your own standard wallpaper mode. The two custom styles is Samsung's way to providing a more personalized experience unique to the T10, which differentiates it from standard players. For instance, the Sammy profile features an animated dog that reacts to various actions and selections.

Performance-wise, the T10 is definitely an upgrade to the T9, with much more responsive menus. However, the touch keys sometimes do not register input. Without any tactile feedback, we are left wondering if we really did press the buttons. For this reason, full touch sensitive controls may not be everyone's cup of tea, though they do look cool.

Of the few design drawbacks we noticed, the use of a proprietary USB cable for data transfer puts a damper on usability. Another feature that really seemed strange to us as far as MP3 player design goes was the lack of any straightforward volume controls.

Petite Performer

Audio playback quality was good on the T10, as expected of most Samsung players in the market. The T10 also supports video viewing, and we have to say that the video quality was pretty decent for its small screen. Color saturation was good, as well as image clarity and sharpness. However, its format support is quite paltry. Audio formats are limited to MP3, WMA and OGG, while video formats include MPEG-4 and MWV.

Other features include an FM tuner, and a very capable voice recorder. The built-in Bluetooth capability is also one of its strongest features as consumers are able to ditch wires completely when using the T10 with Bluetooth headphones.

And So...

In a saturated market, the Samsung T10 does stand out with its personalization features and playback performance. It is available in 2GB (S$199), 4GB (S$249) and 8GB (S$349) models, with a variety of colors to choose from so there is room for negotiation to suit most tastes. Its storage capabilities may seem a little limited with 16GB and 32GB flash players entering the market, but as a personal device with wireless freedom, the Samsung T10 has its charms.

Product Specifications