Photo support is limited to the JPEG and BMP formats, but we'd be lying if we said the stamp-size screen is something you'll want to spend much time viewing photos on. The same goes for the Vibe's limited video-format support. You'll need to jump through some hoops to transfer videos into a low-resolution SMV video format (software included) before getting them on the Vibe, but, considering the player's price and its screen size, you should really just be grateful to be getting video support at all.
The Vibe's FM radio offers good reception, with the included earbuds acting as the player's antenna. Users get up to 20 station presets, which can be assigned manually or automatically. Voice recordings offer minimal audio quality as 64Kbps MP3 files, but the feature is easy to use and the MP3 format is handy.
Last, but not least, we're happy to see that Philips has included a USB connection setting under the player's option menu. The capability to switch between a Windows-optimised USB mode (MTP) and a Mac-friendly mode (MSC) is a bonus.
Sterling sound quality
The Vibe can hold its own when it comes to sound quality in this price range. As with most MP3 players on the market, the bundled headphones are the weakest link in terms of the sound quality. Heard over a pair of decent headphones, there's little to distinguish the Vibe from the Apple iPod touch.
Philips rates the Vibe's battery life at 25 hours of audio and 4 hours of video, which is quite an achievement considering that its closest competitor, the Sansa Clip, lasts only 14 hours and lacks any kind of video-playback capability.
Conclusion
The Philips GoGear Vibe is let down by some design flaws, but, considering its price, it's very well-rounded in terms of features. Most importantly, it offers good sound quality.
Additional editing by Charles Kloet
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