Presenters show off the latest Samsung K5 MP3 player, which is the world’s first model with built-in speakers.

Yesterday's newcomer, the Samsung K5, will be available in 1, 2 and 4 gigabyte models, with prices starting from Bt7,990, said Thai Samsung's product marketing manager Suphot Leenanurak. The players will be marketed under a "Share Your World, Share Your Music" lifestyle concept.

Suphot claimed the Samsung K5 has stunned the industry and MP3 lovers with its built-in stereo speakers, which have changed the way people enjoy music. The new players give consumers a mini music box with which to enjoy a good time with friends at anytime, he said.

The K5 also comes with bass-sound-enhanced earphones that give good sound quality with noise cut-off technology, the same as that in home stereo systems.

"In 2007, the MP3 player market is expected to enjoy good growth in both market size and range of consumers, due to more advanced functions that will give customers higher value for money," Suphot said, adding that Samsung aims to expand the range of its MP3 customers from teenagers to young adults and working professionals.

"The total MP3 market in Thailand is expected to be more than 400,000 units this year, up 30 per cent over 2005. We expected it to grow by between 20 per cent and 30 per cent in 2007," he said.

Suphot said that MP3 players with high memory capacity of 512 megabytes or more took a greater share of the market this year, rising from 16 per cent of the market in April to about 32 per cent in October. At the same time, the market share of MP3 players with lower capacity declined continuously from 50 per cent in April to 35 per cent in October.

"We aim to double our share of Thailand's MP3 market, particularly in the high memory segment of 512 megabites and up, from the current 10 per cent to over 20 per cent next year," Suphot said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation