Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

A few weeks ago, Switched On noted the challenges that even wildly popular, highly penetrated devices such as MP3 players and portable GPS devices have faced in the era of the converged device. Some of these devices, such as digital cameras, still hold on because of genuine advantages such as better image quality or optical zoom. For others devices, though, such as MP3 players and portable GPS devices, the grim news is that one of the main reasons consumers use them is to save smartphone battery life.

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Switched On: And smartplayers for all originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.