SanDisk Sansa e280 has today been released by SanDisk as the latest in the row of players that will try to disrupt iPod’s road to total dominance. SanDisk is the world’s second largest MP3 player manufacturer, even if it is still far behind Apple and has for long been out to get Apple and its iPod. It launched a campaign some time ago with pictures with messages such as iFollow. What you first notice with the new players is the storage capacity: up to 8GB, at a price of $249.99. And then you can increase it with up to 2GB through a microSD card slot.
Except from the 8GB version there will also be players sporting 2GB (e250), 4GB (e260) and 6GB (e270) and these will cost $139.99, $179.99 and $219.99.
The player measures (W x L x H) 1.7 in. x 3.5 in. x 0.5 in. (4.4 cm x 8.9 cm x 1.3 cm) and has a 1.8″ color display (QCIF+). The player also sports Microsoft’s PlaysForSure, which makes it compatible with many online music stores.
“SanDisk is once again making it incredibly affordable for consumers to purchase the most feature-rich, high-capacity players on the market at the best possible price,” said Eric Bone, director of audio/video product marketing at SanDisk. “The most costly ingredient in a flash-based MP3 player is the flash memory. Since we make the flash memory, we essentially remove the middleman and pass that savings directly to the consumer.”
- An open (non-proprietary) digital rights management system that allows users to purchase songs or access subscription download services from numerous sources
- A microSD™ expansion slot for additional memory capacity and support for SanDisk TrustedFlash™ content cards that can be played not only on Sansa players but also on mobile phones equipped with microSD card slots. SanDisk microSD cards today come with capacities of up to 2GB, with higher capacities planned in the future
- Photo and video capability facilitated through the Sansa Media Converter, which enables a superior customer viewing experience
- Digital FM tuner, on-the-fly FM recording 3
- Voice recording with a built-in microphone
- Sleek, thin design with large 1.8” TFT color screen for easy viewing and advanced navigational features within an easy to use interface
- User replaceable and rechargeable Lithium Ion battery for up to 20 hours of battery life 4
- Scratch resistant alloy metal back casing provides excellent durability
- Multi-pin universal connector for future accessory upgrades, battery charging and USB 2.0 connectivity
- Simple to use, backlit controls for fast device interface navigation
