With flash Walkman, Sony takes on iPod Shuffle
New players can store up to 1GB of data. They'll be a bit pricier than some competitors, but company says features are worth it. Photos: Cell phone meets the Walkman Photo: The new flash Walkman
The cheapest models, which come with a 256MB flash memory chip, will start at $90. The electronics conglomerate hopes that pricing will address complaints that its products are overpriced.
The models were unveiled Tuesday.
"Until now, the complaint was that Sony products sold at a major premium," said Gregory Kukolj, general manager of the personal audio group in Europe.
Sony invented the Walkman cassette player 26 years ago and dominated the personal audio market for two decades. But it has watched that lead slip away because of the runaway success of the iPod and growing competition from Asian manufacturers.
Sony's new flash memory players are equipped with chips capable of storing 256MB, 512MB or 1GB of data. The most expensive model, which offers 1GB of storage, will go for about about $200 with the FM radio and will be able to store the equivalent of 45 compact discs.
Kukolj conceded that Sony's new Walkmans would still be more expensive than some brands on the market, as the cheapest players can be had for less than $67. But he said the new Walkmans would win over customers with superior features and designs.
Apple's recently launched iPod Shuffle, its first flash memory player after its initial hard-disk-based iPods. The iPod Shuffle starts at $99 in the United States and 99 euros ($131.21) in Europe, but unlike Sony's players, it has has no display.
Ericsson's new handset
has Walkman functions
Sony said some of the new models would come equipped with organic electroluminescence (OLED) displays, while some would be able to generate three hours of playback time with just three minutes of recharging.
"The digital player market is still in its early stages. In the European Union alone, the personal audio market is 20 to 22 million devices a year," Kukolj said.
"More than 10 million of those are CD portable players...There is a huge opportunity."
Sony's new players will be launched around the world starting later this month. They will be on display at the CeBIT electronic trade fair in Hanover, Germany, this week.
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