Creative Zen Touch 2 with GPS. My Review.

Creative is now making an Android-based Zen media player.  I'm delighted to see more companies jumping on the android bandwagon. When the Zen Touch 2 (I'll referred to it as the T2) with GPS became available on their web site (you can also order them on Amazon.com) I ordered one.  Mine arrived 2/28/2011, and since then I've been going through it in detail, hoping to find what special touches Creative could add to Android, if any.  As of now,  I'm not sure they did anything beyond putting their name on this device.

Aesthetically the only interesting detail Creative added to an otherwise boring T2 is a faceted back derived from their Zen Mosaic.   Don't consider this player if you want to impress your friends with your stylish choices.  The nicest software touch they added was a quick graphic on boot-up advising you to "Touch the Sound of Perfection".  After that you get another annoying slide-to-unlock screen then a typical Android UI. 

What's in the Box?  In addition to the 8gb (only 4.1gb available) Zen Touch 2 you get:

• A mini USB cable, although I hope you have a USB port on the front of your PC as it is only 4" long.
• In-Ear headphones.  Better than what usually comes with MP3 players.
• Warranty sheet  (one year).
• Quick Start Guide.
• An ad for Creative accessories.
•  $10 EMusic card.
• One free Audiobook offer.
• and advice on protecting your hearing. 

Dimensions: 

• 120mm x 69mm x 13mm, 122g.  
• 4.72" x  2.72" x .5", 4.3oz
• For comparison:
• The Cowon D3 is 116.4mm x 64.2mm x 11.8mm, 120g.
• The Archos 43 is 135.0mm x 65.0mm x 9.00 mm, 132g

OS: Android 2.1, with hints (no promises) that it may eventually be updated to 2.2.

Controls and Ports (held horizontally with the Home button on the right):

• Power button (left end). Hold in to power the T2 on or off.  Tap to toggle just the screen off/on.
• Volume +/- (top edge)
• Search, Back, and Menu/List buttons (touch sensitive, to the right of the LCD screen)
• HOME button (oddly a mechanical push button on the front face)
• Speaker port (5/16" x 1/16" slot on back)
• Camera Lens (on back)
• Mini USB port (right end)
• Headphone jack (right end)
• Video output (Composite, uses headphone jack and custom cable)
• MicroSD slot (bottom edge under a rubber pull tab)
• Microphone (small hole on bottom edge, labeled by white microphone icon)

This Zen's media apps:

• Music: The T2 will play music in these formats:  MP3, AAC, WMA9, FLAC, OGG, ADPCM, MIDI, WAV, and Audible.  I was shocked to discover there is no Equalizer. No Presets. No user settings.  I had to dig out my ancient Zen 4gb to see if this was Creative's pattern or not (it is NOT).   The audio output was powerful enough to easily drive my large Sennheiser HD595 headphones. No gapless playback though.   Just the basics it seems.  On the Now Playing screen you get a small album art view. Controls are all visible and active including List, Shuffle and Repeat buttons, as well as the typical Prev(Rewind when held)/Play(pause)/Next(Fast Forward when held) buttons. Info displayed includes a song length/position slider bar, artist, album, and song title. A long press on the last three brings up a Music/Browser Search window to find all songs or web info that matches the item touched. The Now Playing screen simply rearranges the same info for landscape or portrait view.  A tap on the T2's menu icon will bring up options for Party Shuffle, Add to Playlist, Delete, and Library.  With no Equalizer though the Music app gets a B.

• Gallery (used for video and photos): Both Video formats supported include H.264, MPEG4, WMV9, and AVI video.  Photo types include JPG, BMP, and PNG.  My Touch 2 played WMV, AVI, and MP4 video files fine,  although those that weren't the same width/height ratio as the screen had no way to be stretched to fit the screen. All you get when playing videos is the standard video Rew/Play/Ffwd and a length/position slider bar. No info, no submenu options, nothing. Don't buy the Touch 2 for videos.  Video gets a C- from me.  The Photo capabilities are only a little more useful.  No swipe to the next photo.  You have to tap on the screen to get a next or previous triangle to tap on. You also get a zoom (magnifying) in/out bar, a share icon, and a delete icon. Tap Share to bring up options for Bluetooth Object Push and Email.  You can also double-tap on the screen for one step of zooming in. Once zoomed in it is easy to pan around the photo.  Using the magnifying bar there are 13 steps of zoom, which does a fine job of bringing up the tiniest details in a photo.   Tap the T2's menu button for a few more options including Rotate, Delete, Crop, Details, and More. More adds Show on Maps, Slideshow, Settings (for slideshow), and another Push Image by Bluetooth choice. Slideshow Settings are more complete than usual.  Where both Videos and Photo suffer is from the poor screen quality.  Photos get a B- from me for leaving out the easiest way to see the next photo.
• FM Radio with RDS!  You need headphones plugged in to use the radio.  The Radio app will warn you to plug them in if they are not, and although the radio app will open it won't turn on without the headphones.  The app is fairly complete. You get a station slider bar, Off/On button, scan forward and back buttons, frequency up and down (in .05 steps) buttons, an add-to- presets (+) button, and a Presets List button which includes the AutoTune choice. If the station tuned to includes RDS info it will display above the frequency displayed. No HD-Radio reception. No option to delete a preset from the list that I could find. No recording of Radio that I could find. Radio will play in the background while you run other apps that don't have their own audio.  To turn it off you need to tap the power icon in the app, or run another program with its own audio (like Music). With no recording or preset delete I have to give FM Radio a B.

Other hardware features include:

• Bluetooth - 2.1 EDR:  So far I've found it supports file transfer, stereo audio to headphone or speakers.  My bluetooth keyboards would pair but not connect. Audio quality over bluetooth to my Sony BT50s is on the better side of typical. All controls over media play worked both from the headset and the player.
• WiFi - IEEE 802.11 b/g/n:  No problems connecting to my Dlink n-capable router. Signal strength is as good as on any other 802.11n device I've reviewed, no matter where in my house I wandered to.    
• GPS: I'll need to find a GPS enabled app to give this a test.  Stay tuned.
• Compass: Seems to work.  Found north just fine using a compass app.  Not sure how useful it will be, but am optimistic it will eventually come in handy.
• Accelerometer: The UI and direction-sensitive apps react quickly when the T2 is rotated. Nothing else to test it with.  Another "stay tuned".
• Camera:  The camera will take still photos at 1600 x 1200 (2mp) or 640 x 480 as JPGs. Video taken is MP4 (H.264) at 21fps and 360kbps, 640 x 480 pixels. Video doesn't play back very smooth.  The camera app is pretty complete, with white balance, quality, GPS (location) tagging, effects settings, crop and delete, etc.. No zoom to speak of.  No flash.  The lens is fixed-focus and cheap. It is also easily blocked by your finger when holding the T2 naturally.

Web Browser: Works best with mobile web pages.  The low resolution hinders usefulness on classic web pages. A double tap works as expected, stretching columns to fit the screen width. Panning and scrolling is responsive and smooth. I recommend using a stylus if you expect to be accurate tapping on tiny links. Settings include options to Add a bookmark, Find on Page, Select Text, Page Info, Share Page, Downloads, and page content settings.  You can choose from Text Size, Default Zoom, Text Encoding,   Open Pages in overview, Block Pop-up windows, Load images, Landscape only, Enable Javascript, Enable Plug-ins, Open in Background, and Set Home Page.  In addition there are privacy settings to Clear cache, Clear History, Accept cookies, Clear all cookie data, Remember form data, Clear form data, Enable location, Clear location access, Remember passwords, Clear passwords, Show security settings, and even more advanced options. With exceptions for the low-res screen The Web Browser is very complete. Almost a joy to use on the Touch 2. Web Browser earns an A.

UI:  The android UI will turn horizontal or vertical depending on how you hold the T2, but only 90 degrees one way. The screen is sensitive and very responsive, but graphics do not instantly react like those on an iPod Touch. There are only three home page screens.  This will prove limiting after you start adding apps.   You get just 4 widgets including an analog clock, bluetooth control (PureAndroidAudio),  Power Control, and Search.  You can add Widgets, Shortcuts, or Folders to any or all home screens.  You can also choose the wallpaper (background) from 10 included photos, your own photos, or 4 different colors.  You can adjust the brightness of the screen from Settings-Display or the Power Widget.   Viewing angles are decent in one axis and limited in the other, typical for the inexpensive LCD screen used.   Other than for the poor choice of screen the UI response is as good as any other android device I've reviewed. Limited pages and included apps/widgets lead me to giving UI a B-.

Conclusion:  For a device with so many hardware features it is a shame Creative went with such a poor screen. The Touch 2 is almost as large as my Archos 43, but the 3.2" 480 x 320 screen is significantly smaller and less than half the resolution. Poor video playback and no audio equalizer round out the flaws.  There appears to be plenty of processing power. Audio output is strong. Bluetooth is great and FM radio with RDS is appreciated.  Is it worth $199?  The 8g Archos 43 is also $199 but comes with a better screen, better UI, more functional WiFi and Bluetooth features and remains my favorite device for now. So NO. The Touch-2 with GPS is NOT a good value at its current price.

4D

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Archos 43 with Android. My Review!



Image from Archos.com



Hints of the new Archos 43 media player caught my attention the last month or so. From the early press releases it seemed like the one to get.   It is now available, so I ordered one to see if it would live up to the specifications.  The name gives away the display size, as it has a 4.3" (diagonal) screen with 480 x 854 pixels and 16 million color support.  All the basic underhood technology seems there with WiFi and Bluetooth, Accelerometer, Camera, a graphic accelerator, and Android Froyo 2.2 (soon) as the operating system. I've been tricked by specs from Archos before.  Will the 43 be any different?  It is a beautiful beast with a mirror-finish back to compliment the big glass front.  Very sturdy, with an overmoulded stainless steel interior structure.

Archos didn't leave much out when they built the 43. The missing GPS and 3G (phone) chip are the only things that keep the 43 from being a smartphone.  Some hardware specifics below.

 

- External Controls:  You get a volume level rocker and a power/sleep/reset button.  That's it.

- Ports:  MicroUSB for syncing and charging, a mini-HDMI  port, and the expected 3.5mm headphone jack. You'll need a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable to connect to a TV.  About $10 if you shop around.

- RAM:  16gb internal (roughly 14.3gb for your use).  A MicroSD-HC slot on the side for up to 32gb more.  Media on the microSD card is merged with any internal media, and shows up together in the media apps. The Files program lets you browse content on both the internal an microSD memory.  

- Wireless:  WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth (2.1 EDR)

- Display:  Single touch (not multi-touch) screen, resistive (pressure sensitive), 480x854 pixels (FWVGA), 4.3'' TFT LCD, 16 million colors

- Dimensions:  135 x 65 x 9 mm – 5.3” x 2.6” x 0.4”

- Weight: 132 grams (4.65 ounces).  For comparison my new iPod Touch weighs 103 grams (3.63 ounces)

- Kickstand (Fold out leg stand)

- Speakers: Above and below the screen. Mono output however.  Sound good. Better than most phone speakers.  Not as good as most headphones. 

- Microphone: Should do fine when shooting video. There is also an included voice recording app.

- Camera:  2 MP - recording format: 720p H264 / AAC .MP4.

Sample taken from the 43.

The camera is best used holding the 43 upside down IMO.  I can confirm that it isn't good enough to use with barcode scanning apps. I tried three different barcode scanning apps, and none could focus well enough on any barcode I tried to decode it.  No autofocus or macro mode.  This isn't as good as most cheap pocket cameras.  Video would be best take outdoor and on a tripod if the 43 had such a tripod mount.

This is at best a token feature. It may come in handy when no other camera is available, but I wouldn't buy the 43 just for the camera feature.  You'll be disappointed.  Camera gets a C from me.

- G-Sensor: Works as expected. Detects screen orientation. The Whole UI will re-orient quickly unless turned off.  You can turn it off in Settings.

- Bluetooth: I've had a chance to check out the Bluetooth capabilities now. I succeeded in pairing with and using my Freedom Pro keyboard with the 43. I had an initial conflict when both WiFi and Bluetooth were turned on, but a reboot cleared it up and the keyboard was usable entering text in any app that required it, including the web browser, email, and the trial document editor that came with the 43.  I also was able to pair three different Bluetooth headsets and one Bluetooth speaker dock with no difficulty.  There was the occasional signal glitch. I believe it relates to WiFi being on and email notices distracting the 43's attention. I couldn't get it to reliably repeat though, and I was able to use the bluetooth keyboard, listen to music over bluetooth headset, all while browsing the web or sending emails.  I have no doubt a bluetooth mouse would also work, but don't have one to test. I was able to do a file transfer over bluetooth using a dedicated app for that purpose, as well as "bump" a contact to my cell phone using the Bump apps on both devices via bluetooth. I give bluetooth on the 43 an A.

From Archos you can expect complete Music, Video and Photo Players.  These are NOT the standard android media applications.

- Music: Supported formats include Stereo MP3 CBR & VBR,  WMA, WAV (PCM/ADPCM), AAC3, AAC+ stereo audio files, OGG Vorbis,  and FLAC. It will also play consecutive song with no audible gap in between.  The display rotates with the device, and you'll get larger album art playing vertically, or the now playing song can fill a screen with it's art.  You can sort by albums, artists, songs, playlists, or by folders.  Sorting a large collection of songs brings up a thumb tab that when used displays the alphabet as you pan up and down through the list. Songs from the microSD card are integrated with any songs that are on internal memory.  You also get a nice cover roll of the recently played album songs. You can add to playlists or favorites.  There is a Party Shuffle option.  Very detailed Info is available about any song, album, or folder.  As far as I can tell the only shortcoming of the Music app is the lack of sorting by genre. As such, Music gets an A from me.

Music playback time: up to 36 hours.

- Video: AVI (480 x 272)(720 x 404) (320 x 240), WMV (1280 x 720)(720 x 416)(540 x 360), MP4 (1280 x 720)(640 x 480) are the resolution and codec I was able to play with no trouble on the 43. Nothing larger than 720p would play. The video player gives you all the info that matters. Simply listing the files there are options for All Videos, Recently Played, Not Player Yet, and Folder Search. You can browse for and play videos on locally accessible network shared folders as well as media servers.  Fast-Forward/Rewind and relative positioning within a file are both supported. You can call up detailed file info, set bookmarks, resize video to fit the screen or not, and adjust brightness. A Settings sub menu also provides Play mode, Sound, and volume/title display toggles. Play mode lets you choose Single, Folder, Repeat Single, or Repeat Folder options. Choosing Folder lets you play in sequence all the videos the same folder.   Sound options include setting the EQ Presets, Bass, Treble, 3D, and L/R Balance of the audio output.  You can send video out through the (optional) HDMI cable to a big TV too!  Video playback get an A+ from me.

Video playback time: Up to 10 hours.

- Photo Gallery: JPEG, BMP, PNG, and GIF files can be displayed. You get a panning array or sorted group view of the available photos, both using the creation date of each photo to sort by. In the arrayed view the entire collection is show by date from left to right, with the dates appearing as you use the slider bar to move over the group. Once you've selected a photo, zooming is great. Zoom in to what appears to be one-to-one pixels displayed on the screen. Smooth Pan and Zoom is easily handled by the graphic processor. You can zoom in five steps to full resolution, or double-tap the screen to zoom all the way in/out instantly. You can slide show with transitions and music in the background. All the basic features seem to be there.  You can crop, rotate, Set as (contact icon or wallpaper), You also get a SHARE option with sharing via Bluetooth, Email, Touiteur (Twitter), Facebook, or Gmail, shown as well as any other choice related to apps you may have installed.   I'll give Photo viewing an A.

- Web Browser: Web surfing: up to 12 hours on a battery charge. A double-tap on any web page paragraph enlarges it to fill the screen. There are several "Favorites" already stored for you, and you can add your own page to the favorites/bookmarks page.  Not quite as nice as the Safari browser on the latest iPhone or iPod Touch, but easily second best.  I've seen far worse browsers. This web browser gets a B+.

- App Store:  There is a decent selection of applications already on the 43. They include Webbrowser, Email, Contacts, Appslib, Twitter, Wikipedia, Weather Channel, Ebuddy, Deezer, Mewbox (UK), Napster (US), Racing Thunderlight, Weather Channel, World Newspaper, and more.  The Appslib program gives you access to hundreds of other applications.  A search on the web will find you can also add the Google/android market app as well, which gives access to almost every other android app out there.  A+

UI: The screen reacts quickly to the touch of your finger or a stylus.  Graphics flow smoothly, and there are five home pages to layout anyway you want.  Add widgets or shortcuts.  Arrange them anyway that makes sense to you.  Delete apps you don't have a need for.  I found that using my thumb isn't the best at controlling the screen, but any other finger works fine.  This may be peculiar to just me and not you. I love that the whole UI and most apps will re-orient themselves as you rotate the 43.  You can change screen brightness. You can turn on or off any audible alerts or notices.  This is as good as any other android device I've used, and better than many. I give the UI an A.

Conclusion?   Archos has a winner here. I highly recommend this to anyone who want a better media player than an iPod, yet doesn't want to give up the apps store or web browsing that come with WiFi. Now to find a case for mine.

4D