iRiver hasn’t deviated far from the popular Clix design with its latest B20 DAB radio-cum-MP3 player. However, the unit’s extendable external aerial gives it a cute retro feel alongside modern MP3 and video features.
The B20’s 2.4in 320 x 240 LCD screen displays 260,000 colours. The external antenna also picks up an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) to allow the player display details of DAB broadcasts.
The EPG can also be used to set reminders for recording DAB and FM programming, with the player available in a choice of 1GB, 2GB or 4GB internal storage, though all of them have a Mini SD card slot for more memory.
The B20 connects and charges through USB 2.0 to a PC or Mac, with the battery giving around 27 hours of music playback life and five hours of video.
iRiver’s kept the Clix’s… er… ‘click’ interface, but the B20 looks slightly thicker than its predecessor. It has a "sports mode", which hopefully means it’ll survive minor knocks and scrapes, despite lacking a metal body.
Built-in speakers are a nice touch, but its additional features, such as a photo viewer, selection of games and voice recorder, are nothing to write home about. However, they should help while away train journeys.
The player’s available now from Advanced MP3 Players, with the 1GB model costing £150 (€170/$300), the 2GB £170 (€195/$320) and the 4GB priced at £210 (€235/$420).
