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SanDisk cut prices on its mid-range, handheld MP3 music players Monday as it released a high-capacity, 8GB player.
The Sansa e280 has more capacity than any other flash-based MP3 player in the market, the company said. Since SanDisk, of Milipitas, California, makes its own memory components, it can control costs on the most expensive part of an MP3 player.
SanDisk’s new device can play music, display photos or videos, record with a built-in microphone and also has a digital FM radio tuner. The standard device can hold around 2,000 MP3s, or 2,500 if a user inserts an extra 2GB microSD memory card, also made by SanDisk.
The product is unlikely to roil markets since Apple has such commanding market share — 70 percent — but SanDisk hopes its new prices will boost holiday sales of lower-capacity Sansa models.
The company lowered prices on its 2GB e250 model from US$180 to $140, cut its 4GB e260 from $230 to $180 and reduced its 6GB e270 from $280 to $220. It will sell the new Sansa e280 for $250.
After Apple, SanDisk is the second-largest vendor in the market, followed by Creative, iriver, Sony and Samsung, according to the analyst firm Creative Strategies.
— Ben Ames
Yoshi’s take: Nothing particularly special in terms of performance but the new pricing is nice.
01:22 PM 
Mark Hiratsuka •
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