2GB Sansa Black Player ...2 Model Numbers + Updated UI ...Official Sansa Info....

SanDisk MP3 players Sansa® Clip | Sansa® Clip+
1

This Sansa Clip 2GB has been great, I have only had it for 3 days now but it is by far superior to my iPod Shuffle.  I love having a screen, it is very clear/bright and the user interface is very friendly to use).  During my research I ran across 2 Sansa Clip 2GB’s in the black color (both with different model #'s).  I got mine for $28 on Newegg, it had an instant $22 off at checkout with my coupon code and free shipping (took 4 days instead of the guaranteed 3, but I don’t blame e=. 

I emailed the Sansa customer support the following:

Hello,

I am looking to purchase either a 2GB or 4GB SanDisk Sansa Clip.  I have been comparing them on the internet to some other devices like the iPod Shuffle and the Sony which has a 1.6" screen.  The Clip seems to offer a lot of features and quality for my money.  While the 1.6" screen on the Sony is nice, that is not a deal breaker for me so long as the interface is user friendly and easy to read.  I have come across what appears to be the same product with 2 different model numbers.  I read some customer reviews and they say one is the “upgraded version” with a brighter display and a faster responding user interface.  I am wanting to know if this is true and if so which one is the newest model.

SDMX11R-002GK-A57 and SDMX11R-2048K-A70       :both models are black and show 2GB of storage.

Reply from CS Representative (got an answer in under 2 hours)…

Good morning Bruce,:


The SDMX11R-002GK-A57 is the newer model.  The user interface/firmware is updated and more responsive.  The screen brightness can be controlled through the settings menu.  Please visit our Knowledgebase at kb.sansa.com for more information on our Sansa products.

Regards,
CS Rep. (Sansa Customer Support Team)

2

Translating, I would assume (maybe incorrectly?) that the “newer” model is the version 2 model.  Both, however, can be updated with the latest firmware and should perform identically. 

3

The representative said that you definitely should get Model# SDMX11R-002GK-A57 instead of the A70 model if you have the option, why I am not 100% sure.  Personally it seems backwards to me, you would think the A70 is the newer model, but I guess thats not how they number their products.  I would agree that unless there is something different in the parts used inside that a firmware update should make them both perform identically.

From a few of the reviews I had read, people were also saying that the A57 model provided brighter screen then the A70, I don’t have a way to test that out for accuracy.  It just seems odd that they would bother making 2 model mumbers of the same device, unless one held some sort of an advantage over the other that could not be fixed just by upgrading the Firmware.

If anyone has a way of testing both models to see if there is anything else different between them that would be great.

4

If I recall correctly, SanDisk said, at one point, that there is no end functional difference for the user.  Some internal physical changes were made to the Clip at one point in time, for undisclosed reasons–it could have been a result of a switch of parts supplier/parts availability, a switch to less expensive parts/parts consolidation, a switch to more efficient parts, etc.