Today I had the benefit of playing with the Samsung NeXus hands-on, courtesy of JJI Electronics, and my overall impression is that this is a great alternative for those who don't want to plunk down the cheddar for the Pioneer Inno or Samsung Helix. The NeXus is also a bit of a breakout concept from the other 'regular' satellite radio receivers, in that it's sole purpose is to replay recorded (and personal) content. This concept isn't what us regular satellite radio listeners are used to, but this device isn't exactly targeted to us - it's meant for the casual MP3 listener (I'll explain more later).
Now unlike the Pioneer Inno and Samsung Helix, the Samsung NeXus does not have live on-the-go reception of satellite radio signal. Instead, it depends on being plugged into the Home Dock (or the optional Car Kit) in order to receive a live XM signal. What the NeXus lacks in on-the-capabilities, it makes up for in size and price. The MSRP is almost half the price of the Inno and Helix (the NeXus 25 MSRPs for $219.99 and the NeXus 50 MSRPs at $269.99).
The NeXus measures in at a meager 85.6mm high x 47.2mm wide. When compared to the Inno/Helix, that's 8.5mm less in height, and 8.8mm less in width. To the Sirius S50, it's 13.46mm shorter and 1.06mm slimmer. And with the inevitable comparison to the iPod nano, the NeXus is still 3.3mm shorter, while being 6.56mm wider - not too shabby.
The Samsung NeXus comes with a home docking station with antenna, earbuds, the incredible XM Passport, various cables, a carrying case, and the XM + Napster software to interface with your PC. Read more and check out a whole boatload of photos after the jump...
The Concept
So as I was saying about overall concept of this product. The main usage behind the Samsung NeXus is pretty much the same as the Sirius S50 in that the owner's on-the-go capabilities are limited to recorded and personal content. Where it differs the most from the Sirius S50 is that it comes with a Home Dock instead of a Car Dock as the S50 does. Since most people listen to radio (both satellite and terrestrial) in the car, it makes sense that the S50 would go this route. But the NeXus isn't positioning itself as a "radio" at all. It's instead focusing on the Digital Audio Player market (and as a result, most likely major metropolitan markets).
An iPod is only as good as the content that's on it. I've said it many times. Even after having gigs upon gigs of music, you still end up hearing the same songs over and over again (developing what I like to call "iPod A.D.D." - where you constantly hit Next after hearing 3 seconds of a song). The problem is that your music collection is always finite and discovery is a handycapped activity.
With the NeXus, new music (or talk, or news) is automatigically delivered to you without thinking about it. There's no limit to the numberof , or the length of, scheduled recordings you can setup. With that thought, everything recorded become expendible. The oldest recordings get replaced when storage is filled up (unless you don't want them to). All with practically no effort. Just set it, and forget it, and your device is updated with nearly any form of audio entertainment you can imagine. For seasoned iPod users, think of it like Satellite Podcasting.
Organizing it All
You can mix in your own MP3s with your satellite radio recordings (when you partition the drive to 50/50 - 50% MP3s and 50% XM). You can setup playlists, organizing by channel, genre, scheduled recording, etc. Satellite radio recordings are separated into individual track, so you can rearrange, sort and delete individual tracks as you please - or 'disaggregation' as the RIAA likes to call it. In fact, the whole gripe that the RIAA has against these devices is exactly what makes the whole thing cool. If you've become accustomed to using your DVR to watch television, you'll find similar uses and functionality with the NeXus (and Inno and Helix).
Comparing to the Pioneer Inno and Samsung Helix
The interface of the Samsung NeXus is essentially the same as both the Pioneer Inno and Samsung Helix (if you read my Pioneer Inno review, you'd remember that I'm a fan of the interface in general). The big difference in UI between the Inno/Helix and the NeXus is that it's not in color - so no graphics and channel logos obviously. But all the menus and user work flows are essentially the same. Because of it's lack of live radio capabilties, and it's missing a few features that really wouldn't make much sense to keep anyway - things like a Stock/Sports ticker, TuneSelect, and the "Mode" button is built into the interface instead ("Mode" and "DISP" are now volume-up and volume-down buttons). The NeXus is pretty much exactly like a Helix and Inno in permanent "MyMusic" mode.
XM Passport
So one of the hidden benefits of the Samsung NeXus is the inclusion of the incredible XM Passport as part of the whole package. The XM Passport contains all the necessary information needed to receive XM Satellite Radio. Think of it as a SIM card for satellite radio. All you need is the antenna, and you've got XM. The XM Passport plugs into the back of the Home Dock to give the NeXus live XM capabilities, but soon will be able to be plugged into various other devices - such as tabletops, component tuners, vehicle headunits, etc - to provide XM in multiple devices under a single subscription.
As a result, the Samsung NeXus has a duality-of-usage ability. Let's say your wife wants to take the NeXus to the gym so she can rock out to The Heart while working out. But you don't want to miss a minute of Ron & Fezzy. Simply unplug the XM Passport from the Home Dock, and snap it into your Passport-enabled tuner.
What this also means is that theoretically, you could own TWO NeXus' (NeXii?) under a single subscription. Pretty damn cool.
Final Thoughts
So there it is. Yes, the Samsung NeXus is definitely no where near as cool as the Pioneer Inno or Samsung Helix, but it has it's own benefits and uses. If you're a city dweller who spends alot of time on foot or on the Subway, and can't be bothered with trudging through the iTunes Music Store, the Samsung NeXus may just be for you.
...and now for some eye candy:
The USB port at the bottom of the unit (yes, it charges while plugged in).
(Pardon the wacky-flash) Controls on the top are power/hold and the standard headphone jack.
Another side-by-side shot with the Samsung Helix and Pioneer Inno.
Here's the Samsung NeXus actually on top of the Helix, shows the size difference pretty clearly.
The NeXus is 0.6mm thicker than the Samsung Helix/Pioneer Inno tho.
NeXus on dock, and Inno on dock.
Some shots of the Home Dock.
Side-by-side with a 3G iPod
NeXus side-by-side with my Motorola V557
Some shots of the interface - it's pretty much identical to the Inno/Helix interface - just not in color.
Side-by-side shot of the XM Passport vs a Compact Flash Card. It's nearly the same size, but is definitely thicker (as you can see in the next shot).
Note the thickness difference between the XM Passport and a Compact Flash card. I'd call the XM Passport more of a "cartridge" than a "card" exactly for this reason - that said, she's amazingly small for all that she does.
And that's that. Let me know what questions you have, as usual I'll do my best to answer them all.
[Samsung NeXus - JJI Electronics: $209.99]
I just got the Nexxus 25. Can I use the lock feature to save content when I decide to reset the content from 100% XM to 50%/50% or will even the locked songs be gone when I reset? Is this the same on the Inno?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
Can I listen to one station while recording another?
Can I record "The John Batchelor Show" and archive it to my PC? - I live on the road, and this may be just the ticket...
I'm a traveller and i only saved 50mp3 files on my nexus.. how can i maximize it? I thought i can save more than a hundred songs in this player waaa..
FINALLY a reviwer gets it right with the Nexus! It's gotten great reviews on Amazon but the professional "reviwers" always whine about the lack of live mode on the go and lack of color. Bah! Big freaking deal! I got the Nexus 25 and I absolutely love it! Aside from no color screen, no tune select or live mode outside of the car/home dock, it pretty much does EXACTLY what the Inno/Helix does! Having my own recorded songs on the go with me is way more appealing then listening to live XM since if I don't like a song, I have to turn the channel, then that channel might have something that sucks etc etc, the signal could drop but with my own recorded stuff, that won't happen! I can create playlists on the fly, edit them, even edit the name of the playlists, DELETE unwanted songs from scheduled recordings when I'm watching tv, sleeping etc, lock in songs so they are not accidentally taped over and it has a 10 minute song just like the Inno/Helix. This means if you are listening to a channel when that special song comes on even if you catch the song near the end , you can hit record and yes it will record the song from the beginning! The passport is a cool feature as well although some people won't like the fact if they don't have live XM going for at least 8 hrs a month, you will be locked out of ALL your recorded content. That is no big deal to me at since I will definately be recording stuff so it will be on much longer then 8 hrs a month! lol
The Nexus is not the stepchild of the color models but a very well made, very small, thin, sleek unit of it's own that does exactly what it's supposed to and I highly recommend buying it if you want to save mucho dinero! :D
I used to have the XM Express in my vehicle, but it does not work anymore. However, minus the cradle and player, everything is still prewired to my car (tuner, antenna, power cords, etc.). Recently, I bought the Nexus 50, with the home kit included. I want to use it in my car, so my question is: Will the home kit function as a car kit, if I just plugged it into the existing wires I had for the Express?
Can I use the nexus 25 with my mac? Do I need to install anything?
To answer the question about the car setup. YES the pre-existion wires will work AS LONG as the wires match up. THere is no difference between the home kit and the car kit except for it snap on mounting kit (versible between each other) and the hardware is modified for car use (like how the antenna is a magnetic one to go on the top of the car, versible with the home antenna connection also). Hope this solves the problem for you. If anyone has any questions on this contance me yibbachester@yahoo.com
i have a samsung nexus 50 and i also have an fm transmitter for an ipod and one for a sandisk sansa E100 and was wondering if i was just wanting to use it for recorded and stored music on my nexus and to charge it if it would work or if i needed to buy a nexus car kit??
I have a Samsung XM Nexus 25. I need a kit by car, because I have 2 kits by home. I am in Mexcio in Chetumal City, in the Yucatan Peninsula, Near of Florida. I want to know if I can suscribe the service for the signal giving an address in Florida or in Frisco Texas, where I have relatives, because the form not allow me give my adress in Mexico. Please inform me all about it, and where, by this via, buy the kit by car. I will hope for you answer. Thanks. Mario.A.V. P.D. I have a friend who is receiving the signal of radio XM O.K. He gave an address from Miami.
I am always on the road, but in and out of the car often. I want to be able to record Ron & Fez everyday (3 hours)in my car, whether I am driving or out of the car. I can leave the unit docked in the car, but I don't know if it will "turn itself on" to record or not. Will the Nexus work for this use, or is there something else I should look at.
Question: My Nexus 50 recently wants to connect to the satellite more frequently - 2 days about. If it does not then the player stops working. I sometime can't dock it for 5-7 days if I'm traveling. Any suggestions besides taking the dock? Thanks!
I'm having trouble receivinig from my location and have read a very little bit (new to XM) about 2-0-7 diags. Can these be run on the Nexus?
Thanks in advance.
Hey Chris. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that since the Samsung Nexus runs similar software to the Pioneer Inno/Samsung Helix, then getting to the diagnostic screen might be the same.
So with that in mind, here's what *I think* is the how to get to the Nexus diag screen:
Press the ((( ))) button. Then press: Settings, Setup, Restore Defaults, Restore Setting Only, then at the "Are You Sure?" menu, press the ‘pause’ button.
Now back out of the menu to the play screen and repeatedly press the 'DISP' button until the diagnostic screen is displayed (there are two screens).
This was originally posted in my Pioneer Inno hacks post... so I guess you could call it a Samsung Nexus hack. :)
how do i reset it it will only let me put 50 songs on there