Model:  US2 2GB Silver

Manufacturer:  mobiBLU

Provided By:  mobiBLU

Reviewed By:  Miguel

Review Date:  12/03/06

mobiBLU has been busy releasing some impressive new players.  The Cube 2, reviewed just recently, was an excellent upgrade from the original Cube, which gained the interest of many over that past year.  However, some of their other flash-based players were simply not as impressive in terms of overall design.  Tom did take a look at their B153 a while back and while its highly impressive battery life of 150hrs certainly stomps the competition, its bulky design was just not appealing, especially for a flash-based player.  While battery life is key when considering a new MP3 or PMP player, its design always outweighs any other feature one looks for.  Slim and small is in, and is why so many manufacturers are focusing more on design.  mobiBLU has done just that with their brand new US2 digital multimedia player.  With its ultra-slim body, "razr-like" keys and dual headphone jacks, the US2 is one sexy looking player. 

Packaging & Contents

The US2 ships with some necklace style earbuds, USB charge/sync cable, low profile USB to mini port adapter, user manual, software disc, clear plastic protective housing and even comes with two screen protectors as well.  That was certainly a nice addition and it certainly does come bundled with all you would want.

Design

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The most appealing design aspect is just how thin and pocket-able the US2 is.  For comparison, the pic above shows the US2 next to the iRiver U10. 

Looking at the pictures on the web, many may think the player is made of aluminum.  Unfortunately, that's not the case.  The housing is plastic with a metallic finish.  The front sports a 1.5" 260K color OLED display and razr-like aluminum control keys with a blue backlighting, which certainly adds style to its overall pleasing design.  On top of the screen, you'll find two additional buttons.  One for SRS setting and one that doubles as both your play and power button.  The back of the player is fairly uneventful, except for the tiny reset button located at the center.

**click to enlarge**

The US2 has one very unique feature not found in any other player of its kind...dual headphone jacks.  There is one of each side of the player and while primarily designed for the necklace style earbuds included, you can also share your music with someone else using two separate headphones.  However, when connecting to your PC to sync and charge, you must use the jack on the right side of the player.  They are both labeled.

The new mobiBLU US2 comes in two varieties, a 1GB black model, and the 2GB silver model reviewed here.

Specifications

Next: Install & Bundled Software