Question on Mobile Phones:

I am planning to buy a portable music player but I cannot decide if I should get a dedicated MP3 player like the Creative Zen and Apple iPod, or a music-enabled mobile phone like the Sony Ericsson Walkman handsets? Can you help?

Submitted by CNET Asia reader, via email

Answer:

It really depends on your music-listening needs and preferences. People, who like to travel light, usually prefer a music-phone as it means having to carry just one device for making calls and and listening to music. Most music-phones today offer pretty much all the basic features you can find on a dedicated MP3 player, so if you are not looking for anything too fanciful, they should be quite sufficient for your needs.

The appeal of dedicated MP3 players is its size and ease of use. Many MP3 players come with flash memory (up to 32GB of storage) which enable them to be kept compact and more portable than phones. Playback and navigation controls are also generally more intuitive than music-phones, making them easier to use.

Another important consideration is the amount of time spent on using the mobile phone. If your cellular usage is high, you may want to get a separate MP3 player as listening to music will drain your phone battery even faster. The same applies if you use your MP3 player extensively. A separate phone will ensure that you won't having to keep plugging into the mains for recharging.

Humean

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Humean says...
How does sound quality hold up if you compare a music phone to an upper scale mp3 player (cowon, Iriver, Creative, or I-pod). Or in the case of a normal multimedia phone compared with a mp3 player?

Jul 23, 2008 18:49

multan

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multan says...
I guess if you're looking for a multimedia phone with MP3 player, Sony Ericsson Walkman Series is one you should consider.

Just that if you've been a Nokia fan for too long, it may take quite sometime for you to adapt to the SE interface, especially with the 'back' button, the 'C' button and also the 'keylock' sequence.

Other than that, it's definitely more of a convenience to get a good earphones as most phones support the conventional 3.5mm jack

Jul 25, 2008 09:30

vin8tan

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vin8tan says...
I agree with Reuben's point about your usage. If you are a road warrior, i think a separate device would make more sense, as music playing can really drain the batteries, A compromise would be to get additional batteries.

I have always thought it is simpler to carry just one device.
If sound reproduction quality, audio output format and a dedicated UI *user interface) is secondary, than a music phone is a god choice, why carry one more extra device in your pocket when you can have all rolled into one ??

W960i, N83 are both good bet if you are looking at a all in one, their music quality is pretty good and you will not notice the difference in a crowded MRT train or when commuting, normally no one can tell the difference when it's MP3 format, its the same no matter where it is played. It's the headphones that makes the difference.

That said... N95... is just too bulky... and ugly... so... unless style is of no value to you... i will recommend that you stay far far far far away from it...

Or you could just wait for the iPhone, it's a solid, iPod, and a phone.... what else do you ever need.... ??

Jul 27, 2008 13:10