Right on time for an update, Sony has released its new range of Walkman music players. Will these finally give the iPod a run for its money?
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Sony Walkmans have often had a sleek look about them, tending towards a minimalist look. These new Walkmans are no exception.
F800 Series
The top of the range F800 series comes with Android 4.0, putting it in direct competition with Apple’s iPod Touch. It has a 3.5 inch touch screen (sound familiar?), a Tegra 2 dual core processor and support from Google Play and Music Unlimited.
There are three size options available, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB, although the 8GB will only be for Europe. What is not known is the screen resolution. This could be a make or break affair too. Prices of the 16 and 32 are US$269 and US$299. A bit cheeky, really.
Of particular interest to audiophiles is the added FLAC support. This is on top of support for MP3, AVC (H.264), WMA, WMV, HE-AAC, PCM, and MPEG4 too. It’s got Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. And even a built-in speaker is thrown in.
Sony S770BT
The traditional Sony circular button interface sits nicely below a clean 2 inch screen in this mid-range offering. Codec supports everything the F series does, bar the FLAC. What it does come with that the F series lacks is a cool looking pair of wireless in-ear Bluetooth headphones.
Memory is 8GB and battery life is really good at 36 hours of music play, and six hours of video playback if watching videos on tiny screens is your thing.
E570/E470 series
For the color inclined, these the E470 Walkmans can suit any teenager’s wildest fashion moods. This is apparently the slimmest Walkman that Sony makes, at about 7mm thick. They come in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB versions, priced US$79, US$89 and US$109.
The E570 comes in 8GB and 16GB versions and are the only to feature noise cancelling headphones. These are a must if death metal is your music of choice, especially if you are self-conscious. For the first time, Sony has put games on this Walkman like Sudoku and Tetris.
