Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsIt does the job I need, though sometimes it isn't obvious
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2018
This could be the most informative review you'll find on the Ruizu X02, 8 Gb internal memory. I give it the stars based on a comparison with other players at this price that serve this function. Maybe I'm giving 4 instead of 5 so you'll read it, since so many 5 star reviews seem so meaningless and fake. And I've not had it long enough to give an honest statement on durability. (I skip the extremes and read only the 2, 3 or 4 star reviews since they tend to be more informative. I'll use 4, even though my negatives below are really quite minor.)
I don't understand the reviews and questions by people who want a device that is simpler and less expensive than their phone, then are amazed that a player at this price doesn't do the same things as their phone or old iPod that died after a couple years. This isn't a phone. Its not an iPod. It does the job. If I get several, and each one I buy lasts 12 months, collectively they outlasted an iPod and still cost signficantly less.
I want a small, simple device to play through headphones while I exercise or lay about or drive my 2 or 4 wheel motor vehicles. I want an inexpensive player so I would not risk losing or damaging a more valuable device like my phone. And it does the job. No matter how good the headphone, I'll snag the cord on a chair or the cat will grab it, breaking the wires and needing another pair. Other pairs are easy to find, they don't cost much, and expensive ones don't last longer. For now, the ones that came with X02 are okay. They do the job.
I listen to podcasts, and sometimes selected music. Plug the Ruizu X02 cable and move mp3 files from the computer into files on the player, then turn it on and play the files. It does the job. I don't have a countless collection of music files that play for more hours than I would probably play in a lifetime that I'd want to stuff on the mp3 player at the same time to play in confusing lists or scrambled that I'd never know what is playing. I play what I want, and when my preferences change, I delete the old and put on new files. For me it does the job.
I'd not use the X02 for videos, or pictures or even ebooks. If the screen was the same size as the entire front of the device, I'd have to use a magnifying glass to see any details or get more than a couple words per screen. The screen is a good size to see what is playing or what files you are opening, so for that it does the job.
The negative is exactly what buttons do which job is uncertain. Apparently, there are different versions of Ruizu players with the same model numbers, and I've seen different sellers with minor variations all implying they made the players. And yet, the same brands and model numbers have slight differences. You can see this in the reviews by verified buyers. Even the sellers don't always know exactly how the buttons work on the variety of phones that all say Ruizu x02. If you aren't willing to spend a little time pressing and/or holding different sequences of buttons to see what happens, you might give up. For example, to restart the player later on where you left off, you need to go to sleep mode instead of turning it off. The directions and other users say press and hold the button in the center of the dial to sleep. I do it and mine goes to "easy" mode. I like easy mode when I'm using it, but easy isn't sleep. I see this in the answered questions on Amazon. I asked online, and the seller says press and hold the center button. That didn't help. I experiment. I learned. I now press and hold the volume button at the bottom of the outer dial. When the volume slider shows, I press and hold the center button and it goes to sleep. In easy mode, I just mash the top or bottom of the outer ring and the volume slider appears, then press and hold the center button. It took a bit of time, but I finally found the sleep mode. And the player does the job.
I listen to the podcasts during morning exercise, the drive in to the office, and the drive home, I might play some music later while reading, then load in a new collection of podcasts before going to bed. For what I need, it does the job. And by having this item, I don't do things with my phone that might cause me to damage or lose it.
One thing the X02 lacks that I'd like in something this small is a hole through the same edge with the headphone plug, a clean hole that comes out nearby in the back. A hole like that is common in many other players, and I would thread in a lanyard that I could carry around my neck for the times my shirt doesn't have a pocket. And even when my shirt has a pocket, on a lanyard it won't fall out and yank on the headphone plug in a way that kills the player. Well, no big deal. Not all mp3 players have it. If that becomes important to me, I have superglue gel and a jump ring, a method I used before. For now, I use a 1930s hidden carry derringer shoulder holster that my nephew played with when he wanted to pretend he was a secret agent. If you don't have one, a cheap grouch bag or neck-carry sunglass case would work, too.
Later tonight, I'll load in more podcasts.
