Sony's Walkman Phone Looks Hot, But Isn't so Beautiful on the Inside

From DailyTech: Sony Ericsson -- a 50-50 mobile devices venture between Sweden's Ericsson AB and Japan's Sony Corp. -- appears to be finally getting serious about the U.S. smartphone market.

In May it released the long-rumored "PlayStation Phone" (official the Xperia Play) in the U.S. on the Verizon Communications, Inc. network. While the phone received enthusiasm for its slide out gaming controls and overall relatively slick Android experience, it has been sluggish in sales with Sony Ericsson resorting to selling the phone for 1 penny with contract through retailer Amazon.com, Inc.

Today Sony Ericsson revived another familiar brand -- the Walkman. It has created the "Live With Walkman" phone, which promises a music-themed smartphone experience.

The phone features several key technologies including a proprietary Walkman-branded music player app, which promises to make slicker playlists than the average Android, and xLoud integration, which promises to allow users to go deaf quicker by making "it possible to listen loud without distortion."

The phone itself looks distinctive, with a slick stylized case featuring extremely curved top and bottom lips. It's hard to tell if this is conscious effort on Sony Ericsson's part to avoid becoming Apple, Inc.'s latest lawsuit victim (Apple claims to own the rights to any thin black rectangular smartphone). But regardless, it's nice to see smartphone makers thinking outside the box when it comes to design (à la Nokia Oyj.'s unusually-shaped X7 smart phone).

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