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Philips' Android-based GoGear Connect PMP now available for pre-order
Time is slipping away for it to meet its promised September debut, but Philip's Android-based GoGear Connect handheld / PMP is now available for pre-order from at least one online retailer (J&R). It'll run you $170 for the 8GB model and an even $200 for 16GB (both a slight discount off the list price), each of which come equipped with a 3.2-inch display, WiFi connectivity, built-in speakers, a microSD card slot for additional storage, and Android 2.3 with access to Android Market. Unfortunately, there's still no indication of an exact ship date, but we're guessing you won't have to wait too much longer if you decide to take the plunge. [Thanks, Peter]
Philips GoGear 3 Android PMP hands-on (video)
One of the fun things about attending a show that's open to the public like IFA is that you tend to get the same pitch from companies as folks walking in off the street. And the pitch with the latest Philips GoGear is quite simple: this is the company's shot at the iPod touch. We swung by the Philips booth to give the thing another spin. The 3.2-inch portable media player has a touchscreen and runs Android 2.3 -- really, it's got most of the basic functionality of a handset, save for the whole calling people thing. The build on the device is a bit plasticy and certainly can't compare with the touch on that front, though it is quite light and should slip into your pocket easily for a trip to the gym, if you're so inclined. The player also doesn't make the most of potential screen real estate, due to the three large buttons and Philips logo taking up roughly a quarter of the its face -- an odd choice, given the GoGear's touchscreen. The PMP also has three large brass buttons in its side. The GoGear 3 runs Android apps with ease, flipping through the selection of Google programs without a problem. It's also got Android Market built-in, accessible through its built-in WiFi. That functionality also comes in handy with the company's SimplyShare software, which lets you stream music and video content to other devices. No word yet on final pricing or availability, though the Philips rep we spoke with said it will likely run around €150 for the 8GB version and €180 for the 16GB.%Gallery-132461%
Philips GoGear Connect gets Gingerbread and some new threads, we go hands-on
It's been a while since we last saw Philip's GoGear Connect PMP, and in the meantime it's acquired a new look and a new flavor of Android. The new GoGear has gone from white to black, lost its trackball in favor of a capacitive touchscreen display, and exchanged the lowly Android 2.1 for Gingerbread. Like its competition from Samsung, the device also has access to the Android Market and all those apps that lesser PMPs lack. After getting some quality time with a prototype of the new device, we found the copper-colored buttons and speaker grill running along its right side to form an intriguing design, but the overall fit and finish -- not to mention the lack of a backlight for the screen -- demonstrated that it wasn't quite ready for primetime. Luckily, there's plenty of time to work out the kinks, as Philips has pegged a September debut for the 8GB and 16GB versions (at $179 and to-be-determined price points, respectively), and promised a 32GB iteration will come later. PR after the break. %Gallery-121655%
Philips crams ATSC M/H tuner into PD725 portable DVD player, intros PB9013 mobile Blu-ray player
In recent years, Philips has strayed somewhat from introducing products catering to the North American marketplace. We're thrilled to say that this year's spate of CES announcements signifies a stark turn from that approach. The most interesting release from the company during this year's blowout is probably the PS725 (shown above), a 7-inch portable DVD player that doubles as a mobile TV viewer. Before you bust out the yawn collector, you should know that Philips managed to stuff both an ATSC and an ATSC M/H tuner within, the latter of which just announced a major push into 20 major metropolitan markets back in November. The unit has an 800 x 480 resolution display, three hours of nonstop playback via a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery pack, a screen that swivels 180 degrees and a $299 price point. It'll ship in March, just as your FLO TV service keels over. In related news, the outfit is also outing a PB9013 portable Blu-ray player, which touts a 9-inch display, a battery good for three hours of enjoyment, a bundled mounting kit and an HDMI output. You'll also see this one ship in March, but with a $399 retail sticker. Outside of those two, we're told that the GeGear Muse MP4 player is now on track to ship in March, with the 8GB model going for $149, the 16GB edition for $179 and the high-end 32GB model for $229. For those out of the loop, it'll deliver a 3.2-inch HVGA touchpanel, an FM radio tuner, 720p movie support and compatibility with FLAC and APE lossless files. Closing things up, we've got the Fidelio DS8550 and DS9010 speaker docks. The former handles your iPod, iPhone and / or iPad, streams tunes over Bluetooth and touts a built-in, rechargeable battery; this guy's on sale now for $299. As for the latter? That one's expected to ship at the tail-end of March for $599, with the price premium netting you an aircraft quality aluminum enclosure, improved audio drivers and a proximity sensor to activate a backlit control panel. Bullet points after the break, per usual. %Gallery-112183%
Philips GoGear Connect hands-on
We had a chance to check out Philips' new GoGear Connect a few hours ago ahead of its IFA debut later this week, a brushed metal media player that pretty closely apes the Muse but adds a wee bit of girth, swaps in Android 2.1 for the proprietary OS, and adds a trackball down below. Interestingly, it's got both a 3.2-megapixel camera and edge-mounted microphone on board, meaning that it's basically just a GSM radio shy of being a full-on smartphone -- but we digress: the point is that the Connect will be going head-to-head with the likes of the Galaxy S-inspired Samsung Yepp YP-MB2 and the new iPod touch for the hearts and minds of the dedicated PMP crowd this autumn. Read on for our impressions! %Gallery-101057%
Philips GoGear Connect is a legitimate Android-based iPod touch competitor (updated)
For all its success, the iPod touch has few dedicated media player competitors capable of matching its big-touchscreen, WiFi, and voluminous App Store. Until today. Philips just went official with its GoGear Connect featuring the full suite of Google Mobile applications pre-installed with access to the Android Market for pretty much everything else. Spec-wize we're looking at a 3.2-inch display, WiFi, sound isolating earphones, built-in camera, and microSD slot. Sorry, no mention of the Android OS version though we've seen it listed at retailers with 2.1. Syncing your music is done over Bluetooth or a USB tether to your PC with Philips' Songbird providing the software assist. The MP4 player also supports Maps and location-based services -- presumably accomplished with the help of Skyhook and not via a GPS radio (though the Philips post is tagged "GPS"). Look for the GoGear Connect to land in Western Europe, China, and yes, the US, starting in late October with the price pegged at €249 (about $315) for the 16GB model. Update: Philips got back to us with additional specs: on-board GPS and compass; 480 x 320 pixel LCD display; and support for .mp3, .wma, .m4a (AAC), .ogg, and .flac audio; .wmv, .mp4 (MPEG4 and H264 up to 720p), .avi (MPEG4 up to 720p) video; and JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF images. Oh, and it's definitely Andriod 2.1.
Philips' Android-powered GoGear Connect PMP seemingly on sale overseas
We suppose it could always be a glitch of some sort, but Argos isn't typically the kind of retailer to add products to its library with no intention of hawking them. First spotted back in February (with a pleasing dose of steroids, might we add), Philips' newest GoGear Connect is ditching the proprietary OS in favor of Google's alternative, following Samsung's Yepp-YP-MB2 into the mysterious world of Android-based PMPs. The product listing shows the 3.2-inch media player as boasting Android 2.1, 16GB of internal storage space, a battery good for 5 hours of video playback (and 25 hours of audio), FM radio tuner, a touchpanel and a microSD expansion slot. Curiously enough, GPS is also thrown in, as are a set of presumably lackluster headphones. It's listed for a scarily inflated €264.99 ($340), but mum's the word on an international release -- 'course, it's not like Philips hasn't ignored North America before, so we'd recommend not holding your breath. [Thanks, Michael]
Android-powered GoGear Connect PMP debuted in new, Godzilla-sized form factor
We're used to seeing some ho-hum units with the GoGear name, so we were pleasantly surprised to hear (well, read) that Philips was getting much more ambitious for its upcoming GoGear Connect line of PMPs. Plans are said to include the Android 2.1 OS, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, and extensive skinning that plays up the media player / navigation device angle. Although there's no cellular connectivity herein, there is a speaker and mic for some VoIP action, alongside haptic feedback for the touchscreen display, a memory card slot, rear-facing camera of unknown resolution, up to 64GB storage, and DivX/XviD support. Neither price nor release date has been confirmed (though Q3 2010 is a possibility, according to SlashGear). Indeed, we haven't even seen one of the units, even in prototype form -- but there is an amusing King Kong-scale device running the OS in the video demonstration, which means they definitely have designs on the monster movie demographic. Check it out after the break. [Thanks, Anh]
Philips sticks to its guns with 16GB GoGear Muse PMP
Think you've seen this one before? Close, but no cigar. Philips' GoGear Muse doesn't deviate much from the path that has been chosen for it (and fittingly so, might we add), boasting a predictably glossy motif, 16GB of internal storage space and a 3-inch display. As it overtakes the Opus for the company's top-of-the-line player, it also gains support for BMP, GIF, PNG, OGG, APE, Real Video and Real Audio formats, and just in case you're curious, it'll also handle those ultra-rare "MP3" things as well. Philips asserts that users could see up to 25 hours of audio playback on a single charge, while watching Family Guy re-runs could suck it dry in just 5 hours. As with pretty much everything else that Philips produces these days, it'll first hit Singapore for S$349 (or around $244 in Greenbacks), with only a faint chance of ever seeing significant action here in North America. One more look is after the break.[Via CNET]
Philips GoGear Opus reviewed: solid audio, but painfully boring
When we had the downright magnificent opportunity to toy with Philips' latest PMP line here in the States, we immediately noticed that the GoGear Opus stood out among the rest. The crew over at TrustedReviews recently spent some quality time with the 8GB version of that very unit, and while they found the audio quality to be "excellent," they seemed rather disappointed -- if not irked -- by everything else in the package. For starters, the whole solution just felt boring, with critics noting that its biggest problem was a lack of "excitement." Granted, none of this would matter at a rock-bottom price point, but for $100, there's an awful lot of competition. As we found during our short time with the player, these folks also noticed that the user interface was simply "old-fashioned," and that video playback was nothing to write home about. The bottom line? Unless you score some kind of spectacular deal, your PMP dollars are probably best spent elsewhere.
Philips GoGear Aria, Opus, ViBE and Mix hands-on, launch info
Philips announced its GoGear Aria and Opus players for Europe back in February, but they've finally got around to showing off the units Stateside, along with offering prices, a timeframe, and a bit of company. The 2-inch screened Aria lands this month in 8GB and 16GB versions for $80 and $100, respectively; the 2.8-inch QVGA Opus does 8GB at $100, with a 16GB model in the wings; the teensy new ViBE has a 1.5-inch screen and comes in 4GB and 8GB flavors for $50 and $60; and there's a new little thumb DAP called the Mix, which is short on details. All the DAPs have FM radio and mics, and all but the Mix can do video. They also include trial subscriptions to and support for Rhapsody and Audible, along with a little browser widget to download YouTube videos and load them to the player -- a nice touch. Still, the line is pretty lackluster; we played with the players briefly, and while the design is getting better, there's still a lot of wasted space, mundane controls and ancient-seeming software -- we suppose you get what you pay for. We did appreciate Opus' inclusion of FLAC and OGG support, and its build quality really puts the rest of the line to shame.
Philips debuts GoGear Ariaz, Opus PMPs
Philips has been keeping things relatively simple with its GoGear line as of late, but it looks to be getting back to full-on PMPs with its latest pair: the GoGear Ariaz and GoGear Opus. The GoGear Ariaz is the slightly smaller of the two, with it packing a 2-inch display, along with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of storage, an FM tuner, a built-in mic for voice recording, and a somewhat unique interface that includes a combination of "touchscreen buttons" and a large rocker key. The Opus, on the other hand, appears to be an updated version of one of Philips' original GoGear players, and packs a larger 2.8-inch QVGA display, your choice of 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB capacities, built-in Bluetooth, and integrated support for the BBC's iPlayer. No word on a release 'round here just yet, but both will apparently be available in Europe in April for between €79 and €179, or roughly $100 to $230.Read - Pocket-lint, "Philips unveils GoGear Ariaz media player"Read - Pocket-lint, "Philips launches GoGear Opus"
Philips GoGear Spark gets reviewed: a diamond in the rough
In the world of low-end DAPs, it's incredibly tough to find anything worth its salt. Believe it or not, Philips' GoGear Spark is a so-called "diamond in the rough," with reviewers at CNET noting that the respectable feature set and skimpy price tag ($49 for 2GB; $59 for 4GB) made it a good bet for those scouting a simplistic player for the gym. Specs wise, the 1.5-inch OLED display and "squeezable edges" make for a unique package, and unlike most bite-sized DAPs, navigating this one proved to be doable, if not enjoyable. We're personally a bit more upset by its limited format support (MP3 and WMA only) than these critics, but again, this probably isn't going to be your primary / only music player. Finally, the stellar sound quality and impressive 27 hour battery life really put the cherry on top, with the Spark netting a 3.5 out of 5 star rating.
Philips debuts new GoGear lineup: Raga, Spark and LUXE
Philips has trickled news about these DAPs over the past few months, but things just got real, man. The Raga is a completely nondescript flash player with 2GB or 4GB of flash storage, a tiny multi-line display, 27 hours of battery life and a $35 or $45 price tag; the Spark steps things up with a fancy 1.5-inch OLED color screen, clix-style navigation and $50 / $60 price points; while the LUXE (pictured) adds Bluetooth and style into the mix for $90 or $100. Spark and LUXE both offer Rhapsody integration and some new "FullSound" EQ tech from Philips, but the real hotness is the LUXE. The player can clip to your clothing and pump tunes as would be expected, but also syncs up with your phone to allow you to interrupt the music and answer calls without ever swapping out your headphones. We got to play around with a couple versions Philips had on display, and it really does look the part -- though we wouldn't mind it a bit slimmer. The Spark looks nice and really does offer a good amount of screen for the size -- plus we're suckers for the clix interface -- but the Raga looks like the red-headed, overweight stepchild of the lineup. LUXE will be available in January, but the other two should be hitting store shelves now. Check out our hands-on shots in the gallery below. Or don't, we're not the boss of you.%Gallery-39494%
Philips GoGear -- now in glorious color!
It's true, we were less than impressed with Philips GoGear MP3 squares back when they were first released, so the announcement of the GoGear 2940 isn't really going to shake the foundations of the universe. It's essentially the exact same player as the previous models (MP3, WAV, and WMA playback, built-in EQ, USB 2.0 connectivity, voice recording capabilities, FM tuner) with the addition of a color OLED screen which displays album art or photos. There's something mildly endearing about them, though, isn't there? No details on price or availability.
Philips reveals Bluetooth-enabled GoGear LUXE DAP
Philips' GoGear line hasn't exactly sent us into uncontrollable fits of jubilation of late, but the latest DAP to fall under the aforesaid umbrella doesn't look half bad. Boasting a prism-like motif and integrated Bluetooth 2.1 functionality, this unit will actually pause your tunes and allow you to answer a call if your BT-enabled phone is nearby and paired up. It also features 10-hours of playback time and 100-hours in standby, and there's an FM tuner included in case you roll through 2GB of jams and just can't bear to hear any of them again. Word on the street has it that this bugger will surface in Singapore next month for around S$139 ($92), though other Asian countries should see it pop up shortly thereafter.[Via PMPToday]
Philips releases three yawn-inducing GoGear MP3 players
Philips has just released a handful of new GoGear MP3 squares (emphasis on "square" -- these things are boring as all get-out), the SA2840, SA2825, and SA2820. All of the miniscule players sport 128 x 64 embedded OLED displays, MP3, WAV, and WMA playback, voice recording capability, built-in EQ, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Additionally, the SA2825 features an FM tuner. The devices range in capacity from 4GB to 2GB of flash storage, and prices run from around £34.99 to £44.99 ($68 to $87) -- all are available now, in the UK at least.
Philips launches new GoGear units, some Rhapsody enabled
Like a dump truck backing up onto our virtual doorstep, Philips dropped an enormous pile of new GoGear units on us at CES today. We're not really sure what's what here (really, there's a bunch) but we were intrigued to read about the Rhapsody compatibility that some of the players are sporting. Hit up those read links if you're in the market. Read – Philips GoGear Audio Video PlayersRead – Rhapsody-compatible Streamium and GoGear models
Philips' iPod line in the wild, headed for the States
Not much new info here, but if you've been wondering what that slew of iPod-friendly product from Philips looks up in person, CNET has the gallery goods. Turns out they don't look like anything special, but we're still fairly into this BTM630, pictured above. Launching in September for $199, the Bluetooth-equipped dock can stream music from your phone, act as a speakerphone, rip songs from CDs to attached USB drives, and of course blast your iPod tunes if you're feeling mundane. Also sighted were the Philips SJM3151 LCD remote and dock, which hits in September for $199 as well; the $199 AZ1330B iPod boombox; and the AJ300D iPod alarm clock, which is available now for $79. Philips even gave a sneak peak of its upcoming GoGear PMP, which packs a 3.5-inch screen, 4GB of flash memory and 20 hours of battery life -- 5 for video. It'll be out in September for $149.
Philips quietly offers 8GB editions in GoGear SA3300 lineup
Not a whole lot of background on this one just yet, but judging by the list of flash-based audio players that Philips recognizes as its own, there's a few 8GB flavors of the GoGear SA3300 series that apparently weren't there too long ago. While the SA3300 lineup had members with 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB of internal storage in the past, several new models -- including the SA3385/02, SA3385/37, SA3385/55, SA3385/85, and SA3385/97 -- are all appearing as 8GB siblings. We've no idea if the capacious newcomers will share the 2.4-inch QVGA display, FM tuner, MP3 / MPEG4 support, and preset equalizers found in existing (albeit smaller) versions, but we'll keep an ear to the ground for further developments.[Via AnythingButiPod]