The much anticipated Orbit Player has finally landed, but has it been worth the wait?

This rugged little device measures 4.85 x 2.36 x 0.6 inches, (12 x 6 x 1.5cm) and weighs just 4.6oz (130g).

It offers the following features:

• User-friendly design with physical buttons and tactile markings for intuitive navigation
• Access online libraries such as Bookshare, Gutenberg, NFB-Newsline® and many others
• Enjoy ALL your music, digital books and documents on a single handheld device
• Play all popular book formats: DAISY, epub, docx, pdf, brf, brl, txt and more
• Play all popular audio formats: MP3, WAV, WMA, M4A, FLAC and more
• Enjoy online streaming content, Internet Radio, and Podcasts
• Voice Recorder app to take notes and record lectures
• Onboard Apps: Clock, Alarm, Calendar, Address book, Calculator
• Built-in high-quality speaker and microphone
• Over 16GB of internal storage and full-sized SD Card slot for unlimited capacity
• Powerful octa-core Android mobile platform enables additional apps to be installed
• Easy navigation with features such as page jump, chapter navigation, and sentence and word jump
• Variable playback speeds for a customisable listening experience
• Bookmarking functionality to save and resume from specific reading locations
• Voice guidance to assist with menu navigation and settings
• Built-in dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for Internet access and connection to peripherals like speakers, headsets and keyboards
• Built-in FM Radio
• Multilingual TTS support with several voices to choose from
• 3.5mm stereo headset jack for private listening and recording with headphones or microphones
• Fast-charging, long-life battery for extended usage
• Ultra-compact, lightweight design easily fits in a pocket or purse
• Durable construction resistant to dust and fluids, designed for use in harsh environmental conditions
• Automatic Over-The-Air software upgrades
• One-year warranty

Orbit Player Description

Holding the device in the palm of your hand, the speaker grille is closest to you with the keypad and menu buttons occupying the rest of the front face.

The Orbit Player has a very tactile keypad which is responsive and straightforward to navigate. The top left button on the front face is the menu key.  The top right button on the front face is the record key.  A cross shape with up, down, left, right and centre button act as your main navigation keys.  Below the cross is a Home button on the left, and a Back button to the right.

Below these is a familiar telephone-style keypad with a dot on the number five key.

On the left side of the player is a USB C port for charging the device, below which is an SD card slot.

A round power button is situated on the right side.  Press and hold to power on and off, or tap to move it in and out of standby mode.

below the power button are up and down volume keys.

There is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top right of the player.  There is also a compartment underneath where the battery can be replaced.

The main menu of the Orbit Player comprises:

• Book Reader
• Media Player
• Internet Radio
• Podcasts
• Voice Recorder

The following three items all have submenus which you can access by arrowing right

• Utilities
• Settings
• Help

The Utilities menu contains the following list of applications:

• Check Battery Status
• Check Current Time
• Check Current Date
• File Manager
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Alarm Clock
• Contacts
• Format SD Card

Settings contains the following list of options:

• General Options
• Speech Options
• Date And Time Options
• Keyboard Settings
• Wi-Fi Settings
• Bluetooth Settings
• Software Update
• Install Additional Runa TTS Voices
• Advanced Options

The Help menu contains the following items:

• Audio Tutorial
• User Guide
• About

Using Orbit Player

Hold the power button for a couple of seconds to turn on the unit.  You will feel several vibrations for approximately 50 seconds until the machine reaches the main menu.

As with other bespoke players, you can access DAISY books, music files and text documents all in a variety of formats.  You can pair Bluetooth headphones or use the 3.5mm socket with wired ones if you prefer.  Entering a Wi-Fi key enables you to stream thousands of Internet radio stations and podcasts, or upgrade the firmware on the device.  And you can make voice recordings thanks to the built-in microphone.

The sound for a player so small is very good quality through headphones or its built-in speaker, in fact far superior to most of the other bespoke devices on the market.  The keys are very responsive, and the menu structure is easy to follow.

There are, however, some bugs that Orbit Research are aware of and plan to address in a very near future update.  Once these have been implemented, Orbit Player will be a strong contender for the best player in the assistive technology arena.

Conclusion And Pricing

This is a sturdy little device that packs a raft of useful features and is reasonably priced in the UK at £249 with VAT exemption.  You can purchase it from either

Graham Longly at Aspire Consultancy, 01904 762788

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Steve Nutt at Computer Room Services, 01438 742286

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For what it offers, Orbit Player is a little rocket packed with features that deserves a smooth landing on any surface!