Samsung YP-K5 touts built-in speakers

Samsung's new MP3 player, aimed at the party-on-the-go crowd, features a set of compact speakers that slide out from the back of the device.

At first look, the YP-K5 Digital Audio Player, which is slated to be released this month, doesn't look too different from other portable audio players. It has a 43mm (1.7-inch) colour LCD screen, a one-button scrolling device, and a sleek, black exterior. Its 2GB and 4GB capacity options are nothing unusual, nor are the added FM radio tuner and alarm clock functions.

But Samsung hopes to win over music aficionados with the YP-K5's hidden gimmick: mini-speakers that can pop out of the back of the flash-memory device, allowing it to be propped up on a flat surface and play without headphones.

The prices for the speaker-equipped player are slightly more than those for Apple's iPod nano devices with corresponding capacities: £180 for 2GB and £200 for 4GB, as well as £130 for 1GB. But at 97mm long by 46mm wide by 18mm deep, the YP-K5 is significantly larger than the nano -- in fact, it's almost the same size as Apple's 30GB and 60GB iPod models.

However, it's not yet clear whether music lovers are willing to make a size concession -- both in terms of physical bulk and memory space -- in favour of a set of slide-out speakers. Battery power may be an issue, too. With headphones, the YP-K5 can play for 30 hours, Samsung said. But in speaker mode that time is whittled down to six hours. Apple claims that its iPod nano can play for 14 hours.

Samsung said it is aiming for compatibility with the YP-K5 as part of a new campaign it calls 'MPFreedom'. The device can play MP3s as well as content downloaded from subscription services such as Urge, Yahoo Music, Rhapsody and Napster. Samsung also recently entered the planning phases of its own download service, partnering with MusicNet.

Following in the footsteps of other companies that think pink, such as Sony with its rosy PS2 model and Motorola and others with pink phones, a pink version of the YP-K5 will ship later this year, Samsung said.

Read Crave's impressions of the Samsung YP-K5.