Sony Debuts New Flash MP3 Players
Sony delivered its first Walkman MP3 players of 2006 on Tuesday with the introduction of new flash memory-based players for the European market. The players come in six different colors, and can offer three hours of battery life after three minutes of charging through special quick-charge technology.
The E Series Walkman players will come in three sizes: 512MB, 1GB and 2GB. All will be able to play MP3 and unsecured WMAs, as well as Sony's proprietary ATRAC format. The players would connect directly to the computer via an attached USB port.
Consumers will be able to choose from players in pink, violet, blue, silver, black and lime green. All capacities include a 1 line OLED screen, although only the 2GB version would intergrate an FM tuner. On other models, the feature would be optional.
"We are offering owners a winning combination of style, ease of use and functionality," Sony Europe vice president Jeffry Van Ede said in a statement. "With pioneering Sony quick-charge technology, music lovers can charge their WALKMAN MP3 player for three hours continuous playback in the time it takes to play just one track."
Sony claims the new Walkman will play for up to 28 hours with ATRAC3 tracks, and 27 hours with MP3 tracks in "super power save" mode. The players will be available across Europe by the end of the month.
No word was given as to whether the players will be released for the American market. Apple dominates the digital music space in the United States, with nearly eight out of every ten digital music players sold being iPods.