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Cowon S9 launching in the US mid-December with balls to spare
Oh boy, it's almost here (we think). If we're reading the machine translated text correctly, then Cowon's S9, first revealed in August, is expected to land in the US mid-December. No price was listed for the 8GB / 16GB audio and video player with a 3.3-inch, 480 x 272 pixel AMOLED display and Bluetooth. Cowon is, however, pushing the player's BBE technology (like that found in the A2) meant to doctor the sound quality. Nothing official on the rather pathetic Cowon America website, but we'll let you know just as soon as something pops.
Cowon hacks prices on practically every PMP it makes
Cowon already lowered the primary barrier to entry on its PMP line once this year, but evidently that wasn't enough. In order to entice prospective buyers to go ahead and snag that Cowon-branded player they've been on the fence about, the outfit has taken a sling blade to the stickers of the F2, D2, I7, Q5W, A3 and U5, leaving just the O2 as-is. The cuts aren't exactly small beans either, with discounts ranging from $10 to $70 off of MSRP. For the full list of new and old prices, hop on past the break.
Cowon brings the flash-based O2 PMP stateside: starts at $219.99
Atta boy, Cowon. Before we Americans even had a chance to forget about the O2's Korean introduction and the overseas hands-on, the outfit is going ahead and bringing the unit to US soil. Hailed as the company's first flash memory-based PMP with a 4.3-inch widescreen display, this simple-yet-classy media player packs an SDHC expansion slot and a Power Management System that helps it eek out 18-hours of audio playback and 8-hours with video; you'll also find a revamped user interface and world class codec support. Those who've discovered their dream machine can snap one up now from JetMall, Amazon, NewEgg or a variety of other e-tailers for $219.99 (8GB), $249.99 (16GB) or $299.99 (32GB).
Cowon's simply stylish O2 PMP gets hands-on love
We could tell by the press shots that Cowon wasn't taking the extravagant route with its O2 PMP, and these hands-on images really prove it. The touchscreen-heavy media player can digest enough formats to make your head spin, and considering that there aren't any front panel buttons to catch your attention, it's a good thing the screen quality was deemed "excellent." Thirsty for more? Head on down to the read link, and tell 'em Joe the Plumber sent ya.
Cowon's O2 PMP ships in Korea October 13, starts at $224
Goodie! The long, excruciating wait for more information on Cowon's exceptionally sleek O2 PMP is finally over, and two of the more important tidbits you could ever want to know have been revealed. The PMP, which supports a gaggle of file types including MP3, OGG FLAC, AAC, WMA, DivX, MPEG4 and WMV (just to fire off a few), will arrive with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, SDHC card slot, 8GB / 16GB / 32GB of internal capacity, an internal speaker, TV output (up to 720p), 10-band custom equalizer, 18-hours of battery life for audio playback (8-hours for video), optional T-DMB TV tuner / e-dictionary functionality and your choice of pink, black or white motifs. The real news? An October 13th ship date in South Korea along with prices ranging from ???294,000 ($224) for the stripped-down 8GB edition to ???399,000 ($305) for the 32GB edition with a DMB tuner. Yanks, sadly, will have to wait.[Via iAudiophile, thanks Ang]
Cowon's S9 rocking retail next month
We tried and we tried but we just couldn't get COWON to show us its new S9 Curve at IFA -- they weren't meeting with the press, only business partners. At least we have a ship date and full specs in consolation. Germany at least will get its hands on the 3.3-inch, 480 x 272-pixel, 16 million color, capacitive touchscreen, AMOLED player at the end of October. The 57.08 x 105.75 x 12.7-mm player (a bit shorter and narrower than the 8-mm thick iPod touch with 4.3-inch display) will initially ship with 8GB / 16GB of storage before getting bumped to 32GB sometime down the road. A 3.5-hour charge off the mains (5.5-hours off USB) will deliver up to 8-hours of video (MPEG-4 SP, WMV9 SP, H.264 BP codecs) or 40 hours of audio (MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV formats). Integrated Bluetooth is of the more power hungry 2.0 (not 2.1) variety with support for A2DP stereo and AVRCP remote control profiles. The S9 for Europe supports FM recording and dictation buts lacks the integrated DMB television tuner of its Korean cousin. Line-in recording and DAB radio is also in the works.[Thanks, Vesal]
Cowon makes with the O2 PMP and L3 nav unit for IFA
Cowon's sexy little S9 Curve PMP isn't the only device we'll see out of the company at IFA this year -- there's also the L3 nav unit and the O2 PMP. The O2 isn't quite as much of a beast as the S9, but it'll more than hold its own with a 4.3-inch touch screen, a T-DMB tuner, TV-out, and SD expansion, while the L3 nav has a 7-inch 800 x 480 touch screen, SiRF III GPS chip, hidden touch controls, a T-DMB tuner, and an FM transmitter. Well get a closer look at these when IFA starts later this week, but expect minor tweaks if these ever make it out of Korea. [Via CNET Asia] Read - L3Read - O2
Cowon's S9 with 3.3-inch AMOLED touch-screen kills with style
Taste that? It's the sweet nectar of want for Cowon's new S9 Curve. This 3.3-inch media player features an AMOLED capacitive touch panel display that spreads 16 million colors across 480 x 272 pixels. Inside you'll find a 500MHz dual-core CPU, T-DMB digital television tuner, Bluetooth, FM radio, TV-out, and G-Sensor accelerometer. All that and nearly two days (40 hours) of music playback from a single charge. No price yet but we expect to hear more later this week as the big European IFA show kicks off in Berlin.%Gallery-30372%[Via CNET Asia]
Cowon's 5-inch P5 touchscreen media player brings the haptic happy sauce
Cowon just loosed raw PMP sex into the marketplace with its new P5 media player. We're talking 800 x 480 pixels spread across a 5-inch touchscreen display featuring Cowon's Widget+Haptic UI riding a 700MHz RMI Alchemy AU1250 processor. The P5 packs standard USB and USB-host jacks, T-DMB broadcast TV, FM radio, Bluetooth, TV-out (component, S-Video, and composite), stereo speakers, and up to 80GB of storage in a 138.8 x 88.5 x 20.0-mm slab of "Luxury Hairline Metal" (which sounds like brushed aluminum to us). It comes pre-installed with a Win CE Internet browser (a clumsy WiFi dongle can be added via the USB jack), MS Office document viewer, electronic dictionary, and support for AVI, ASF, WMV, MPG, OGM, DivX, Xvid, MPEG4, WMV9, MP3, WMA, AC3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC and a few more media formats/codecs with a battery capable of about 9-hours of video or 14-hours of straight audio. No price announced but the P5 should hit Korean hands on the 29th of July in choice of black, red, or platinum.%Gallery-28405%[Via PMP Today and I4U]
Cowon gets official with upgraded A3, Q5W PMPs
We'd already heard that the Cowon A3 would be getting a bump to 80GB, and the company has now not only gotten official about a US release for it, but dropped word of new 80GB Q5W as well. You can look for the upgraded A3 to land in the US first on May 26th for $440 (a good deal less than the $691 Euro-to-dollar conversion we heard about initially), with the 80GB Q5W following in late June for $600. Both models are otherwise identical to their less capacious counterparts.
Cowon's A3 PMP gets bumped to 80GB
If you've been holding off on getting an A3 for some strange reason, perhaps a bump in capacity will push you over the edge. That's right, Cowon's little performer just got more junk in the trunk -- 80GB of junk, to be exact. Sure, you'll have to drop €448 (or about $691) on this thing, but think of all the pics, music, and "movies" you'll be able to load up on it.
Cowon's D2 PMP now available in 16GB form
As lovely as the D2 is, we've always had a secret wish for it to offer up a bit more internal capacity. Apparently the higher-ups at Cowon have heard our inner cries, as a 16GB edition of the player is now available through JetMall. Aside from being more capacious, nothing else has changed, but if this was just the thing to push you over the edge, you can hand over your $240 right now and join the club.[Via AnythingButiPod]
Cowon's N3 slips into a smoking jacket and Burl Walnut finish
Better get used to it 'cause wood emblazoned consumer electronics is a trend that's apparently here to stay. This time, it's Burl Walnut (not bamboo) on this N3 which Cowon puts up for sale in Korea on April 28th. We're not sure when deforestation become synonymous with ecological so we'll assume that Cowon's going for recyclability here and involved in some form of sustainable forest management program. Surely this isn't just some marketing ploy. The 2GB DMB with GPS device will cost you ???419,000 (about $437) -- a $20 premium over the standard 2GB N3. [Via Akihabara News]
Cowon Q5W does SNES emulation with a PS1 controller
If you're an owner or prospective owner of the Cowon Q5W, you're probably impressed with its myriad audio and video playback capabilities -- but did you know it can handle emulation as well? Apparently, since the device is based on Windows CE, it's fairly easy to get game emulators up and running on the 5-inch PMP. In the video you can watch a setup of what appears to be an SNES imitator playing both Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario Kart (two favorites of our SNES fanboy, Paul Miller, we suspect). The games are controlled by a decidedly non-Nintendo accessory -- a PS1 controller connected via USB adapter. With that recent $50 price drop, this may be just the incentive you need to spring for a shiny new edition to your gadget library.
Cowon A3 review
When we actually stopped to think about it, we realized that we've waited an awful long time for Cowon's A3 to finally make its way into our grubby paws, and while you've been teased before with unboxing shots and the like, we figured it prudent to snatch one of our own and decide if it really was worth the wait. On paper, this multimedia powerhouse has just about everything you could ask for given it's sub-$400 price tag, but if you've been hesitant to pull the trigger before someone else gave you the low down, head on past the break for all the deets you crave.
Cowon price drops abound
Call it fate or call it luck, but regardless of what you deem it, the latest wave of Cowon price drops will certainly save you a few bucks. Judging by listings at JetMall, Cowon has slashed dollars off of price tags attached to a variety of its devices, including $50 off of the luscious Q5W, $20 from the A3 30GB and some $90 from the 16GB iAUDIO 7. What's more, the entire Q5W lineup now comes with a free GPS cradle and a warm fuzzy feeling to boot. So if you've been holding off on treating yourself to a new Cowon, we'd say now would be a fairly decent time to pull the trigger and indulge.[Via CNET]
Cowon's iAudio U5 heads to America
Don't feel bad if the iAudio U5 hasn't creeped into your mind since it "debuted" at IFA last September -- it's not like Cowon's doled out any sort of marketing blitz to keep us intrigued. Nevertheless, this somewhat stylish little DAP is apparently making its way to the US of A for those who like to avoid the me-too crowd. Specs wise, you'll find a 1.8-inch 160 x 128 resolution LCD, up to a full day of battery life, 4GB / 8GB of internal memory, MP3 / WMA / WAV playback, a built-in FM radio and voice recorder, user adjustable five-band EQ and USB connectivity. Good enough for you? Cough up $149.99 / $109.99 to snag one in 8GB or 4GB, respectively.
Cowon's N3 player packs DMB, GPS, 7-inch touchscreen
Cowon has really been tossing out a lot of winners of late, and if this N3 is any indication, there seems to be no stopping the DAP manufacturer at this point. While the N3 doesn't look to be headed for US shores in the immediate future -- thanks to that pesky built-in DMB tuner -- it does seem to have all the codec goodies and design refinement of its older siblings. The player is a followup to the N2, with a 800 x 480 7-inch touchscreen, 600MHz Alchemy AU processor, dual SDHC slots (but no built-in memory), and GPS. Software is based on Windows CE 5.0. No word on price or release date, but hopefully we'll be finding out more next month at CES.
Cowon A3 gets reviewed
It's been quite a while since caught our first glimpses of what purported to be the Cowon A3, but it looks like the device's natural gadget news cycle is finally drawing to a close, with the usual in the wild and unboxing shots now followed by one of the first reviews. According to gadgetaholic.com, however, it seems like this particular product has been worth the wait, with the A3 making up for what it lacks (WiFi and Bluetooth) with sheer versatility, including support for seemingly every audio and video format one could want. The fact that it also has a "gorgeous" 4-inch LCD screen and an apparently intuitive interface doesn't hurt either. About the only downsides the site could find were the lack of a remote control (which would have been handy given the unit's TV-out functionality), and the absence of a synced-up TV schedule for recording (you'll have to make do with timed recordings instead). Still, for about $350 or $400 depending on your storage needs, it seems like this one is a solid bet.
Cowon A3 unboxed
Although Archos may have stolen some of its thunder with the less-expensive, arguably more full-featured 605 WiFi, Cowon is still hoping to ride the wave of buzz that followed its A3 PMP's launch at CES, as the first players are finally finding their way into consumers' hands almost a year later. Gadgetaholic's already got its hands on the 30GB version of this 4-inch device, and has posted some nice unboxing photos along with a few shots of the interface. Keep reading to check out the icon-based home screen, and then hit up the Read link for the full gallery plus some brief impressions....
