Slacker is having a good week. Fresh from announcing a deal with RIM to offer their software and experience on Blackberry devices, the company is announcing a new portable player. The second generation Slacker G2 Personal Radio Player goes on sale from the Slacker website today, and will land on Best Buy shelves in time for the holiday shopping season.
Most of the features in the new Slacker G2, revealed by the FCC last month, stay pretty much the same. The big difference is the size of the device. At 40% more compact than the initial player, the Slacker G2 addresses probably the biggest objection early critics had with their hardware. It is now smaller and sleeker, but VP Jonathan Sasse assures me the display is just as stunning as ever. There are two models available. The 25-station version will retail for $199.99. The 40-station version will sell for $249.99
According to company materials, new features for the Slacker G2 include:
- Improved audio quality
- Custom EQ and volume normalization options
- 25% longer battery life
- New visual interface and intuitive navigation
- Improved bundled accessories.
I have a review unit coming, so look for hands-on detail soon. In the meantime, if you’re new to Slacker, check out earlier coverage of how the service works. Offline listening of your own custom radio stations is a killer application.
One final note. I asked Jonathan Sasse if Slacker will start offering more community sharing features for its software in the future a la Last.fm, and he confirmed that yes, the company will. Community features are slated for a software update due in a few months.
I kinda liked the angular features of the first gen radio. Though obviously they need this smaller form factor, which somewhat resembles an iPaq or HTC Touch.
It’s amazing how fast they’re cranking out the hardware, when compared to say Pandora and their partners. Of course, Pandora got onto the phone platform quicker – less risk, more reward. And one less device for me to carry.
interesting, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough to compete with ZunePass + Channels.
It’s cheaper than a ZunePass – but doesn’t have the marketing might of Microsoft. Not that they’ve made huge inroads against Apple. I wonder if they’ve got a speaker dock in the works? That might be enough to move me…
can any one tell me who makes the slacker g2 and, where i can get it repaired?