While it's a tad heavier and thicker than the W880i, the 3.5-ounce Sony Ericsson W980i makes a lot more sense thanks to its clamshell design with big playback buttons and display on its cover. Add 8GB internal memory, HSDPA high speed Internet connectivity and specialized music features, and it looks like they may have a real winner. Inside, the W980i looks even better.

We like the absolute simplicity, with its 240 x 320 262,144 colours screen, clean lines and big keys with a very nice 30s typewriter retro touch. The phone comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera with video recording. Like the previous generation W880i, the Sony Ericsson W980i has HSDPA connectivity and videoconferencing.

On the music front, the Sony Ericsson W980i has MP3 and AAC compatibility, Bluetooth Stereo A2DP and TrackID to automagically identify untagged songs in any place. It also includes a built-in FM radio transmitter, as well as Shake Control, so you can change songs by doing a quick gesture with your phone.

Sony Ericsson puts music first in the W980 Walkman® phone to deliver a clear audio experience

10 February 2008 The Sony Ericsson W980 brings an unrivalled music experience that gives you every excuse to lose yourself in acoustic bliss

Barcelona, Spain - 10th February 2008 - Sony Ericsson today revealed the W980, a Walkman® phone that promises to get the most out of your music. Its unique audio enhancing technology, together with the Walkman® on Top design, sees the W980 cement Sony Ericsson's position as a true market leader in the world of music on your mobile.

"The W980 Walkman® phone really sets a new standard for music on your phone," said Ben Padley, Head of Music Marketing, at Sony Ericsson. "We wanted to design a leading music player that we could combine with a feature-packed phone, all the while pioneering an audio experience that always left you wanting more. The W980 will surpass all expectations."

W980 Walkman® phone Created with music in mind

• Clear audio experience
Superior sound quality lets you enjoy your music as it was meant to be heard
• Walkman® on Top
Intuitive music access and control,
• Storage solutions
8GB internal memory lets you store up to 8,000 songs*

Be true to the original recording
The W980 Walkman® phone is designed to allow you to listen to music as it should be heard. Clear stereo enables the music to sound like the original recording. Clear bass delivers distortion free sound even at higher volumes. These features combine with the premium headphones, the Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77, to deliver an incredible clear audio experience and music that sounds as true as possible to the original recording

Share your music with friends
The W980 Walkman® phone has a built-in FM transmitter, which allows you to send whatever's playing on your phone to other devices with a built-in FM radio receiver. This gives you the ability to share your music with all those around you, whether through a friend's hi-fi or your car stereo.
Quality music is made for sharing with the W980. Unplug your headset, sit back and let the music flow through the integrated stereo speakers for all to enjoy. Select a track from the extensive music library - the W980 lets you store up to 8000 songs* - or tune in to your favourite radio station and listen out loud. No need to plug in an FM Receiver, since this is on-board with the W980.

Build your collection every day
With the recent evolution of PlayNow™ arena, Sony Ericsson's popular over-the-air (OTA) and web download service being launched this May, you will be able to access up to 5 million tracks to maximise your music collection. The W980's TrackID™ feature, which can identify any track that you just can't put a name to, will be fully integrated into PlayNow™ arena. This makes the W980 a genuine gateway to great music, as you can download the track instantly once it has been identified.

Customise your sound
You can tailor the W980's Walkman® player to the music that you're listening to. This latest Walkman® phone provides a choice of eight equaliser presets, each of which contains a distinct profile that is suitable to a range of music. So whether you're listening to jazz, pop or heavy metal, you've can always choose the best sound for the song.

Control your music at your fingertips
The Walkman® on Top feature on the W980 gives you the full functionality of a Walkman® player without even having to open your phone. The entire Walkman® player that would normally be displayed on the inside of your clamshell is also replicated on the outside of the phone, so navigation through your music library is effortless.

Balance and beat
Every music enthusiast knows that a great audio experience requires great quality speakers or headphones. The W980 Walkman® phone comes with the new Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77; a headset that lets you enjoy music in powerful stereo sound. The HPM-77 also allows users to take their calls handsfree, and its sleek design and in-ear wearing-style mean that it's both comfortable and reduces background noise to the bare minimum.

Whether listening via the headphones or the stereo speakers, the W980 Walkman® phone is a must-have for those who want an unrivalled music experience, which they carry with them every minute of the day. It is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets from Q3 2008.

The Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77 will be available in selected markets from June 2008.

Tags: gsma 2008 | mobile phones | phones | sony ericsson | walkman