Sony Ericsson has been focusing a lot on improving its mid-range lately, but the Swedish manufacturer today took the wraps off a new Walkman flagship: The W995. Check out its specifications here. Perhaps the best thing about this new phone is not the phone itself, but the fact that a newly developed Sony Media Go software suite will be bundled in the sales package.
Of course, we hope that Sony Media Go will be in a different league than the now defunct Sony Connect. The software promises to synchronize media automatically, and will automatically convert videos to 240 x 320 pixels for playback on the phone. Full-length movies can be purchased through the Media Go software on your computer.
The phone will also finally bring a YouTube video player to a high-end Walkman phone, and videos can be streamed via Wi-Fi connectivity and HSDPA. Luckily, the phone will be available in an American version supporting AT&T's HSDPA network. Additionally, the phone will offer "Clear Audio" technology, claiming to improve the sound experience.
Like the recently announced Nokia 5630, the phone will actually sport a 3.5mm audio jack. It only took the company nearly a decade to come to such a decision, but better late than never, or what? Furthermore, the phone offers a 2.6-inch screen, which beats the recently announced Sony Ericsson C903's 2.4-inch screen. As revealed above, the screen will offer a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The only annoying thing left now, though we haven't tested the phone yet, is the fact that a Memory Stick Micro memory slot is still around. That said, at least the Walkman phone will ship with an 8GB memory card.
Despite being a Walkman phone, the W995 also makes room for a 8.1-megapixel camera with auto focus. Unfortunately, there's no Xenon flash here, but the imaging features include geo-tagging, digital image stabilizer and face detection. We also assume the Sony Media Go software will finally make it easier to manage photos once they've been transferred to a computer.
The phone supports Google Maps and a 3-month trial of Wayfinder Navigator will be included in the sales package. Messaging features include SMS with Chat View, MMS, personal e-mail, instant messaging as well as Exchange ActiveSync support for business users. Furthermore, it sports motion gaming, USB 2.0 with mass storage support and Bluetooth. Lastly, the phone is DLNA certified, meaning that you can connect it to DLNA certified home theater gear. Think Sony Bravia HDTVs.
The W995 will be available in Q2 2009. Price and availability has not been announced at the time of writing, though we expect this phone to be offered as an unlocked phone only in the U.S.
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