Cowon J3 Touchscreen PMP

The image gallery opened up quickly even though it was full of large 8MP sized images. However, even though opening each image was quick a lag was evident while swiping to the next image and using the pinch to zoom function. It was a not much of an issue with smaller files.

An accelerometer -based game called Game hunter has also been preloaded.

Misc. Functions
All PMPs are now ‘required’ to offer more than just music, video, radio and image viewing. So the J3 has a few other adds on available. It’s designed to read .TXT files and the font can be adjusted by colour and size to make it easier to view and read eBooks. I can’t understand why the icon says documents when all it reads is just one type of format though. Flash games are also supported, so you can simply copy past the files into the appropriate folders to play the games on the device. A Calculator and Stopwatch are also present. The J3 supports Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP. That means if you’re looking for a better audio experience in terms of sound wireless convenience, you could invest in a Stereo Bluetooth headset. You can also avail of the Typist feature that opens up a large notepad with a QWERTY keypad. This allows you to save notes on the device and oddly that’s in addition to the Notepad app which is essentially a scribble pad that allows you to use your fingers to draw on the screen and, change the pen colors etc.

Battery life
This is one PMP that refused to die. With music playback on a non-stop loop, the device ran for over 50 hours. It may have fallen short of the 65 hour mark that the company claims but over 52 hours is still excellent in my book. When it came to video Cowon claimed it would provide 11 hours non-stop playback and in reality, the J3 ran for a little over 9 hours and 45 minutes, that too is still quite an accomplishment.

The Bottom Line
The Cowon J3 is available in three capacities – the 4GB, 8GB and 16GB that are priced at Rs. 10,750, Rs. 12,500 and Rs. 14,500 respectively. That’s not too bad considering the features that the device offers especially when it comes to audio. For the true audiophile looking for an in-depth audio experience the J3 is a great option for the price. I say, go for it if you’re looking for that over the top audio experience.