It’s sleek, iT’s black and it has a sexy creen. No it’s not a new Apple product. It’s a new MP3 player from Samsung called the K3.
Samsung it appears has clearly learned something from Apple when it came to designing the packaging for its new K3 MP3 player. The words “For You” appear in elegant script when you slide the inner package out of the case, which looks to be about the same size and shape as the one the iPod Shuffle used to come in — the sort of friendly, quirky, “love me” approach we’ve come to expect from Apple, but which eludes other manufacturers.
The Samsung K3 itself (4GB model for $269 ) also showcases some considerable design chops, as shown by the video below. In addition, a protective steel frame skirts the perimeter of this ultraslim (7mm-thick) chassis, and Samsung claims the glossy screen doesn’t scratch easily. Rather than a scrollwheel, the K3 has a blue-backlit four-direction touch sensitive control, and a 1.8″ OLED screen (these tend to be clearer and brighter than the LCD screens found on the iPod and other players).
To heighten sound quality, Samsung includes the same “DNSe” 3D sound simulator apparently used by its home theater division (previous Samsung models had included similar technology from SRSLabs). The player doesn’t do video, but extras include FM, photos, an alarm, and optional detachable speaker.