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Las Vegas, Nevada, January 5, 2006 – Samsung unveiled a personal media player that combines elements of Olympus’s m:robe and the Apple iPod. The Samsung Digimax i6 is only 0.72 inches thick, but works as a digital camera, an MP3 player, and a video recorder and player. The hybrid Samsung i6 has 6 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom lens, and a 2.5-inch LCD monitor. The i6 will be available in February for $299.99 in both black and silver colors.
Users can snap shots while listening to music files, a concept exploited with last year’s Olympus m:robe. The Samsung i6 also has 45 MB of internal memory, which isn’t that much storage when compared with the Apple iPod devices but is certainly more than the typical 16 or 32 MB offered on compact digital cameras. But with its multimedia functionality, even 45 MB may prove insufficient. Fortunately, the device supports optional SD and MMC cards.
The digital camera is mainly automatic with its 11 scene modes. The Samsung i6 does have a typical 3x optical zoom lens with an advanced shake reduction system. Samsung’s hybrid Digimax i6 has a movie mode that shoots a full 640 x 480 pixels at a rate of 30 frames per second. Movie files, as well as still images, can be edited within the camera body.
With the supplied Digimax Converter software, users can load and play MPEG, AVI, MOV, WMV, and ASF files on the Samsung i6. The software also lets users add subtitles and stretch images to fit the screen. The digital camera also comes with a camera cradle for easy transferring of images and MP3s. Ear-bud headphones are also packaged with the i6.
The i6 has a slim design reminiscent of the Sony T-series of pocket cameras--in fact, Samsung is touting the i6 as the world’s first personal media player in such a slim body. Its stylish frame is backed up by solid specifications of 6 megapixels and a high-resolution LCD screen that can be viewed at almost any angle. This Digimax also has an interesting special effects button that accesses filters such as Negative, Photo Frame, and the more traditional gamut of Black & White and Sepia colors. The personal media player mode is icing on the cake.
"Consumers today demand revolutionary technology while on-the-go," said Stewart Henderson, National Marketing Manager at Samsung Opto-Electronics, in today’s press release. "At Samsung we strive to develop cutting-edge technology to provide innovative products that the sophisticated marketplace desires."