Sony Ericsson roundup: W902, W595, W302 preview

Introduction

Sony Ericsson is making headlines again today, but the three fresh Walkmans is no news any more. The news is we got the actual handsets and our coverage goes deeper with a quick preview of the three new phones to hit the Walkman lineup. We already introduced the 5-megapixel Sony Ericsson W902, the cute slider W595 and the compact W302, which were chosen by Sony Ericsson to celebrate the third birthday of the Walkman series. We're now heading beyond the headlines, while the news of their announcement is still hot.

Sony Ericsson latest Walkmans

We are not going for a feature comparison since the three newcomers are running in different lanes and targeting different segments. We'll be focusing instead on the novelties they bring to the Sony Ericsson portfolio and their implementation. All the devices we received for reviewing are working pre-release units. They are in for some minor bugs, but nothing too disturbing. In other words, the preview should give you quite a close idea of what to expect from the new Walkmans.

Sony Ericsson latest Walkmans

Sony Ericsson W902

Sony Ericsson W902 is quite understandably the handset to create the biggest hype. The first 5 megapixel Walkman takes a bold Cybershot-meets-Wseries stand, much to the delight of Sony Ericsson devotees. Walkmans have so far been below-par in terms of imaging (save for the W800 back in the day), forcing upon users the dreadful choice between a good camera and good music package.

Sony Ericsson W902 official images

Sony Ericsson W902 is a tough challenge for the current Walkman flagship W980. The newbie has a better camera, card slot, screen auto rotation and ships with 8GB M2 cards against the FM transmitter, touch-sensitive music controls and 8GB of built-in storage of W980. All in all, the choice between the two boils down to your personal priorities and taste.

Sony Ericsson W902 live

Sony Ericsson W595

Next in line is the Sony Ericsson W595. The slider does make a great first impression with slick looks and comfortable handling. It also has all the currently available Walkman niceties, including SenseMe and Shake control.

Sony Ericsson W595 official images

Other than that, the W595 has quite a decent feature set and appears a viable successor of the very successful Sony Ericsson W580. The mid-range slider is well due for an upgrade. Much like its predecessor, W595 has the responsible task of adding a touch of style to the Walkman mid-ranks. Our initial impressions are that it's quite up to it.

Sony Ericsson W595 live

Sony Ericsson W302

The last star of the day is the clean-cut Sony Ericsson W302. The extremely compact bar is distinguished by its minimalist design with solid build and brushed metal panels.

Sony Ericsson W302 official images

Coming with a good deal of Walkman skill and a nice camera interface, the W302 might turn a great success if tagged with the right price. It feels great to handle and, despite a few beta stage issues, did manage a good impression.

Sony Ericsson W302 live

With all the previewing we have ahead, it's about time we skipped the small talk and got to work. Hit the jump for our first impressions of Sony Ericsson W902. The other two are close in line.