Ultrathin MP3 players

Jasmine France, Senior Associate Editor

Updated May 27, 2008

When it comes to MP3 players, size does matter. And as we've seen from the emergence of devices such as the MacBook Air, thin is in. It's not just a matter of style, either (though that certainly counts)--ultrathin devices can be concealed in just about any pocket or slipped easily into a purse or briefcase compartment, while leaving the majority of the area free for other items. So why not pick up a space-saving MP3 player? At 0.25 inch, the iPod Nano is the slenderest of the bunch. If you need a few more features than the iPod offers, such as an FM radio, the Samsung T10 and Sansa Fuze deliver and measure a mere 0.3-inch thin. The stellar-sounding Sony Walkman is no slouch either, coming in at 0.4 inch around the middle. Finally, for those who demand a specious capacity of up to 32GB, we have the Apple iPod Touch at 0.3 inch and the Creative Zen at 0.4 inch.

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Product name	Apple iPod Nano (third generation, 8GB, red)	Samsung T10 (4GB, lime)	SanDisk Sansa Fuze (8GB, silver)	Sony Walkman NWZ-A728 (8GB, black)	Apple iPod Touch (first generation, 32GB)	Creative Zen (16GB)

Review date	September 07, 2007	December 10, 2007	March 12, 2008	April 07, 2008	September 17, 2007	September 14, 2007

CNET editors' rating	8.0 Excellent	7.7 Very good	8.0 Excellent	8.0 Excellent	8.7 Excellent	8.3 Excellent

Users' rating	7.2 Very good ( from 24 users)	1.0 Abysmal ( from 1 users)	7.1 Very good ( from 8 users)	9.0 Spectacular ( from 13 users)	7.8 Very good ( from 44 users)	7.5 Very good ( from 84 users)

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Review summary	The shape may have changed, but Apple's relentless attention to detail remains. The third generation of the iPod Nano provides loads of entertainment for a down-to-earth price.	The Samsung T10 won't satisfy audio purists, but users who value lots of features, a fun interface, and a player that will turn heads should give it a look.	The SanDisk Sansa Fuze is a great value--a slim design, simple interface, plentiful features, memory expansion capability, and solid sound quality all come with an easy-to-swallow price tag.	The Sony NWZ-A720 is the best-sounding, best-looking Walkman series yet, and the inclusion of premium earphones adds real value.	The iPod Touch is a beautiful product, inside and out, but prepare yourself for sticker shock.	We're hard-pressed to find anything not to like about the Creative Zen. It's a great option for anyone looking for a great-sounding, pocketable MP3 player with an excellent, video-capable screen and plenty of extra features.

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Basic Specs
Device type	Portable media center	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Portable media center	Info unavailable

Key multimedia features	Digital photo viewer , Digital video player , Digital audio player	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Digital audio player , Digital video player , Digital photo viewer	Info unavailable

Display type	LCD 2.0 in	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	LCD 3.5 in	Info unavailable

Supported still images formats	JPEG , BMP , GIF , TIFF , PSD , PNG	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable

Supported audio formats	AAC , Protected AAC , MP3 , MP3 VBR , Audible 2 , Audible 3 , Audible 4 , Apple Lossless , WAV , AIFF	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable

Video playback formats	MPEG-4	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable

PC interfaces	USB 2.0	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	USB 2.0	Info unavailable

Battery technology	Lithium ion	Lithium polymer	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Lithium ion	Lithium ion

Mfr estimated battery life	24 hour(s)	30 hour(s)	24 hour(s)	36 hour(s)	22 hour(s)	Info unavailable

Included accessories	Earphone , USB cable , Docking adapter	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Earphones , USB cable , Dock adapter , Polishing cloth , Stand	Info unavailable

Width	2 in	3.8 in	1.9 in	2 in	2.4 in	3.3 in

Depth	0.3 in	3.1 in	0.3 in	0.4 in	0.3 in	0.4 in

Height	2.8 in	1.7 in	3.1 in	3.7 in	4.3 in	2.2 in

Weight	1.7 oz	1.5 oz	2.1 oz	2 oz	4.2 oz	2.3 oz

Color	Red	Lime yellow	Silver	Black	Info unavailable	Black

PC interface(s) supported	Info unavailable	Bluetooth , Hi-Speed USB	Hi-Speed USB	Hi-Speed USB	Info unavailable	Hi-Speed USB

Flash memory installed	Info unavailable	4 GB	8 GB	8 GB	Info unavailable	16 GB

Flash memory form factor	Info unavailable	Integrated	Integrated	Integrated	Info unavailable	Integrated

Dimensions (WxDxH)	Info unavailable	3.8 in x 3.1 in x 1.7 in	1.9 in x 0.3 in x 3.1 in	2 in x 0.4 in x 3.7 in	Info unavailable	3.3 in x 0.4 in x 2.2 in

Resolution	Info unavailable	240 x 320	220 x 176	240 x 320	Info unavailable	320 x 240

Software type	Info unavailable	Drivers & Utilities , Samsung Music Studio	Drivers & Utilities , Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 , Microsoft Windows Media Player 11	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Drivers & Utilities , Creative Media Explorer , Creative ZENcast Organizer

Product type	Info unavailable	Digital player / radio	Digital player / radio	Digital player	Info unavailable	Digital player / radio

Sound output mode	Info unavailable	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Info unavailable	Stereo

Amplifier total output power	Info unavailable	40 mW	Info unavailable	10 mW	Info unavailable	Info unavailable

Digital player (recorder)	Info unavailable	MP3 , WMA , Ogg Vorbis , Protected WMA (DRM)	FLAC , Ogg Vorbis , Audible , WAV , WMA , MP3	AAC , MP3 , PCM , WMA , Protected WMA (DRM)	Info unavailable	AAC , MP3 , WAV , WMA , ADPCM , Audible

Manufacturer warranty	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	1 year warranty	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	1 year warranty

Sound effects	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Clear Bass	Info unavailable	Info unavailable

Equalizer factory presets	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Pop , Club , Jazz , Live , Arena , Heavy , Custom , Studio , Unique	Info unavailable	Pop , Jazz , Rock , Disco , Vocal , NewAge , Classic , Acoustical

Hard drive	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	32 GB	Info unavailable

Digital player signal-to-noise ratio	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	97 dB

Product name	Apple iPod Nano (third generation, 8GB, red)	Samsung T10 (4GB, lime)	SanDisk Sansa Fuze (8GB, silver)	Sony Walkman NWZ-A728 (8GB, black)	Apple iPod Touch (first generation, 32GB)	Creative Zen (16GB)

Full specifications	Full Specifications	Full Specifications	Full Specifications	Full Specifications	Full Specifications	Full Specifications

Price range	Check latest prices $9369 from 1 store	Check latest prices $85-91 from 3 stores	Check latest prices $90-130 from 6 stores	Check latest prices $179-200 from 5 stores	Check latest prices $345-430 from 4 stores	Check latest prices $155-180 from 8 stores