Looking for a good media player + wifi (no data plans)

[Zetta_x]

Hi Everyone, I'm looking for a good device (ios, android) that can run an internet browser and have all my media player needs.

The biggest problem is I no longer trust Ipod Touches 4g after the glass shattered from dropping waist level, taking it into a repair shop actually caused it to completely break the Ipod touch.

I have read on Galaxy Tab 2, but the screen seems huge to be portable. Are there any 5 inch size devices that are media player capable and also have an internet browser along with apps? Camera preferred.

Thanks in advance

 

[stab244]

You can basically use any phone. You don't have to activate it to be able to use it. I have a friend who bought a HTC One V from Virgin Mobile even though he doesn't use Virgin Mobile to use as a media player. It was around $50 on Black Friday but I don't know the price of it now. It's really basic but it'll get the job done. Really small screen. Alternatively, you could find online old, used phones that people are getting rid of for their new ones that you can get for pretty cheap. A HTC Rezound from Verizon is around $200-$250 depending on where you look and that has a 720p 4.3" screen so it should be quite clear.

EDIT: Just checked Ebay for a Rezound. It's around $180 actually. That's quite a steal and it being on Verizon doesn't really matter since you're not using it for a phone anyways. The specs are okay and should be fast enough especially if you're willing to flash a custom kernel and ROM to it.

 

[JustChillin1414]

The Nexus 7 is a nice device, but definitely not pocket sized. You could also just go with an older phone, maybe something like a Galaxy S II. You could probably find one of those under $250.

 

[Joe88]

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-YP-G70CWY-XAA-5-Inch-Galaxy/dp/B005P1VNDW/ref=cm_cd_t_pb_t

there is also custom rom support for 4.1.2 http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1418 (though a few things are broken atm)

the s2 would be your next best choice imo, just keep it in airplane mode (unless wi-fi is on)
you would have to compare the battery life though, you could probably get it cheap since the s3 took over

 

[jalaneme]

as you don't mention any specific budget range i would recommend a note 2, it's worth every penny and does a lot in terms of media performance as well as a nice 5 inch screen too.

 

[TripleSMoon]

I actually have an android smartphone with a bad ESN that I've been using for a while as a sort of wifi-only media device for internet and music and stuff. It's not the latest, greatest (running Android 2.3, with a 1 ghz processor), but it works great for what you say you want to do with it. If you're interested in buying it for $60, feel free to PM me. It's a Samsung Stratosphere, and has a 4.3 inch screen.

Not trying to come off as intrusive, just thought I'd mention it since you said you needed something like that...

 

[1stClassZackFair]

Try the galaxy player 4.2 or 5

 

[Zetta_x]

Wow, a ton of great selections. I completely forgot I could get a smart phone and just not activate it. It's going to be hard to get my girlfriend into something new, but with all of these options I think I'll let her browse this page and research some of them!

 

[Chocolina]

I have a few suggestions. I'm assuming you have a budget because your title is way-generic. If a media player with wifi is all you're looking for, then that can be anything from the oldest iPod touchest to the most expensive of smart phones, including all those quirky touch devices that run their own firmwares outside of Android. I'm going to go ahead and impose my own set of limitations on you so that I can narrow a list for you to choose from. These devices pretty much have the minimum hardware requirements for Android 4.0 and screens smaller than 7".

The Polaroid PMID4311, Emerson EM543, and Uniden 4.3" Tablet were part of a recent biglots promotion for $50. These are apparently not for sale anymore on their site and I can only guess they're only available on eBay. All three seem to share exact hardware specification. GBATemp user BenBK recently picked up the PMID4311 and had interesting things to say about it in the Android section. I can only guess that the other two perform the same way. PMID4311 and EM543 can now be found on eBay for $90 unused. The Uniden can't be found anywhere. All three have 4.3" screens.

The Android Pocket Rock and JXD S18 are chinese wholesale-sold devices. Their $50 pricetag and ambiguous chinese origin should be an indication of how great these things are. On one hand, they're sold in a chinese whole sale for $50, on the other hand, they're $50. Good luck finding someone selling the Pocket Rock, and the S18 is the only device on my list with a resistive touch screen. Both have 4.3" screens. Originally the Android Pocket Rock was $50 but now goes for $120 on ebay.

The Gardner GBT6 is going for the same price on eBay as the BigLots three ($90) and its the one that I bought for myself as a dedicated music player for work. Its hardware and performance is just as crappy as the devices above but it's far more aesthetically pleasing than the others. It looks and feels nicer than the others listed above. It has a 800x600 pixel 6 inch capacitive screen. Its uniqueness is also a great downfall. Finding screen protectors and cases on the cheap is impossible for a 6-inch screen. There are also no review articles or rooting/mod tutorials to be found. Having only had mine for 2 hours, I can't even tell you how compatible it is with market apps. Actually going to make a thread real soon on it.

Anyways these are your best non-cell phone budget devices that have wifi. All smaller than standard tablets. All suck. All run Android 4.0. All have 1Ghz processors with 512MB RAM and a Mali 400 GPU. All under $100. All microSD expandable and no Bluetooth.