Samsung Announces Slick P3 Media Player

— -- For months, gadget bloggers have been buzzing about the possibility of a successor to the Samsung P2, a touch screen portable media player. The rumors are true: Today at the Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung unveiled the P3, with updates to both the interface and the sound technology.

Samsung's upgraded EmoTure interface offers haptic feedback, which means that you feel a physical sensation when you touch the screen. Every command gesture, from swiping to holding down a digital button, offers a different type of physical reaction. The P3's screen measures 3 inches--about a half an inch smaller than the display found on the iPod Touch.

The player incorporates Samsung's updated DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement quality, designed to accurately match the tone and feel as originally intended by song's producer. Samsung audio players have generally received high audio performance scores in PC World reviews, so it will be interesting to see how the P3 compares.

In addition to the audio player, the P3 has a 16:9 widescreen video player, a photo album, voice recorder, FM radio, and portable storage drive. The svelte 0.39-inch thick player (just a hair thicker than the iPod Touch) is encased in die-cast metal. The P3 comes in matte black or matte silver finishes--a clever design choice to prevent the smudges and fingerprints that portable media players are often prone to.

The P3 will be available in the first half of 2009 in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB storage capacities.

For all the latest CES news, check out our complete coverage of CES 2009.