Se-lifestyle Blog

Could this be the end for Walkman and Cybershot segregation?

The Sony Ericsson Satio might be months from release, but the launch of the new Walkman-branded W995 slider goes a long way to being the complete handset we’ve all been waiting for.

 - Gallery: Hands-on with the W995

Yes, the days of Cybershot and Walkman segregation may be over as Sony Ericsson have bundled-in the camera technology we’d expect on a Cybershot phone for the first time on a Walkman device.

There’s an 8.1-megapixel camera with an LED flash and face detection technology to run alongside the brilliant multimedia, audio and video features we’ve come to expect from a W-Series model. It’s the best all-rounder the company have ever produced.

Emphasising its multimedia powerhouse billing, there’s a great 2.6-inch 320×240 screen, and users will get five free movie downloads a month to watch on the handset and on your PC. It’s also the latest phone to have the BBC iPlayer built-in, which will be accessible through the built in Wi-Fi.

We had a brief play with the handset at a recent launch event and were surprised with how lightweight and compact the handset is, especially with all that tech built-in alongside 8GB of memory. The keyboard is also very soft to the touch and there’s a handy kick-stand at the back for watching video content.

So is this the end for the Cybershot and Walkman ranges? We’ll keep our noses to the ground, but with the Satio set to smash through the barriers once and for all with a great touchscreen, Walkman tech and a 12.1 megapixel camera it’s going to take a lot for people to settle for anything less in the future.