IRiver Spinn

Last updated
iRiver Spinn (U30)
Iriver SPINN logo.svg
Also known asU30
Manufacturer iRiver
Type PMP
Release dateAugust 2008
Media4–16 GB flash memory
CPU Telechips TCC7901 [1]
Display480 × 272 px, 3.2 in (81 mm), color AMOLED, touchscreen
InputSPINN System, Touch
Connectivity3.5 mm jack, Properietary data/power USB cable
Power Li-Ion battery
Predecessor iRiver Clix 2

The iRiver Spinn (stylised iriver SPINN) is a portable media player that was developed and sold by iRiver. It was announced at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show [2] and shipped later that year. It was a successor to the iRiver Clix 2. [3]

Contents

Features

The hardware and internals of a SPINN IriverTD.jpg
The hardware and internals of a SPINN

The Spinn is fully made of metal [4] and features a resistive touchscreen AMOLED display along with an analogue wheel knob. Both the screen and the wheel have haptic feedback. [4]

The Spinn has sound customisability in the SRS WOW HD 3D, as was seen previously on the iRiver Lplayer. [4] Some features have been carried over including a voice recorder and Flash Lite games, but the Spinn also has Bluetooth. [4] iRiver officially rates a 25 hour battery life for audio, or 5 hours for video. [4]

In some regions such as the UK, it came with a DAB radio tuner. [3]

Formats

It supports the audio formats MP3, WMA, Ogg, APE, ASF and FLAC, and videos in the formats MPEG 4 Simple Profile and WMV. [4]

Interface

The iRiver Spinn's distinct feature is its user operability. It has a modern user interface that can be both operated by both the touchscreen or the physical analogue spindle, [4] [5] which is officially called the SPINN System (Analog Toggle Wheel). [5] The wheel lets the user navigate left and right, and it can be clicked to select. [6]

Reception

Trusted Reviews thought that the Spinn was "excellent and innovative", but that it could be niche in the market. [5] The Register commented that it provides good sound quality as with previous iRiver players, but that it lacks in the video department and that the UI is "half-baked". [4] The CNET review (with a score of 7 out of 10) liked the build quality, interface and support for audio codecs, but criticised the high price and the lack of certain features for the price. [7] Engadget liked the "beautiful" hardware design, the display and the wheel, but did not like the high price and the software. [8] In What Hi-Fi? 's review, the Spinn's design was praised but otherwise commented that for listening to music other products were better. [9]

In South Korea, the Spinn failed to generate enough sales to recover against its rivals, Cowon and Samsung. IRiver did release another U device in 2011, the U100. [10]

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References

  1. "TelechipsInfo < Main < Wiki".
  2. "CES 2008 Leftovers: iRiver SPINN - complete with novelty knob". 11 January 2008.
  3. 1 2 "iRiver Spinn: Juicy new details and launch info".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "iRiver Spinn media player". The Register.
  5. 1 2 3 "iRiver Spinn 4GB Review". Trusted Reviews.
  6. "Unboxed: iriver Spinn". 31 August 2021.
  7. "iRiver Spinn review: iRiver Spinn".
  8. Miller, P. "iriver SPINN review". Engadget .
  9. "Home review". 16 December 2008.
  10. "[iriver] SPINN (U30)" (in Korean). 13 February 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2022.