Introduction:

It was not long ago that Sony Ericsson announced a new Walkman phone model; now we have the opportunity to present it. It is the W890, a “successor” to W880 – now featuring a more stylish design and improved functionality. A testimony to the latter is the better camera (both as hardware and software), the new generation software – same as that of W910 and K850, as well as the availability of an FM radio, which was not present in W880. And so long as the new Walkman phone is now a Quad Band one, it can be used worldwide.

As the phone we are using is a prototype, we will do a preview instead of in-depth review. Expect one in future ...

Design:

It is the renewed style of the phone that will impress us from the very first sight. Its main characteristics are the rounded edges and a new material for most of the front and the back panels, which is aluminum instead of the ancestor’s plastic. As a whole, the changes in the unit’s design contribute to its much more stylish and simplified appearance in contrast to the aggressive and “youthful” looks of W880 – a feature that will render the W890 attractive to a wider circle of customers.

Sony-Ericsson W890, Sony Ericsson K850, Nokia E51 and Nokia N81 8GB

Sony Ericsson have managed to fit in a 2.0 inch TFT display with the same characteristics as that of the previous model - 240 x 320 pixels and 262k colors. The keypad is underneath, and its appearance has been altered so as to match the new concept. And yet, the new device will still remind us that it is a successor to W880 by retaining the good old design of its 5-way D-pad.

2.0 inches display	Navigation buttons and numeric keypad

When we cast a glance to the left side of W890 we will see that the Walkman button remains unchanged and there is the huge and unsightly charger/connector opening, shattering the otherwise simplified new design. We reckon it should be covered by a small unobtrusive lid. There are also changes on the right side: the small volume slider of W880 has now been replaced by a much bigger and more stylish volume rocker, perfectly matching the elegant appearance of the unit.

Walkman button	Connector/charger opening
Volume rocker	Camera button

We noticed an interesting solution for the back lid’s locking system: it now consists of two small lockers on both sides of the phone. What is inconvenient here is that you need to unlock and lock these separately every time you want to have access to either the battery or the memory card slot (which has now been mounted under the back cover). This might prove to be slightly annoying for those who want to use more than one memory card.

When we turn the phone and look at its back, we will find out that the aluminum lid reaches as far as the upper part of the unit, covering the both the camera and the speaker.

Interface:

Main screen	Main menu

The W890 runs on the new generation software that is also used in the W910 and the K850. As this is a preview, we will not discuss all of its features.

This is Walkman phone, and the multimedia, especially the Music, is its main target. The W890 is supplied with Walkman 3.0, which is the upgrade to the 2.0 version. We can’t say the interface during playback has changed much – it still shows visualization and the set option on the top, and the track information below, with indicator for the D-pad functionality. You can also use the player in landscape mode, and one of the cool new features is that you can turn auto-rotation option on, which will rotate the interface when you rotate the phone.
Other new and cool thing is the Media menu, which you can access from the main menu or by choosing back, while during music playback in the Walkman player. This media menu houses Photo, Music, Video and Settings and has flash interface, which is different than the other submenus but changes (its background) with the change of themes.

source:phonearena.com

The W890’s 3.2 megapixel camera allows you to record the moment for posterity. One-press access to the camera means you need never miss a shot. Plus, instantly upload your photos to your personal online gallery, or ‘blogsite’, to let your friends know what you’re up to.

The W890 Walkman phone is a HSDPA/UMTS 2100 and GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 phone and will be available in selected markets from Q1 2008. Espresso Black, Mocha Brown and Sparking Silver colours will be available,

The W898c Walkman phone is a GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 phone for the China market only.

More W890 Details:

* Screen: 262,144 colour TFT
* Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
* Size: 2 inches
* Size: 104 x 46.5 x 9.9 mm
* Weight: 78 grams
* 3.2 Megapixel camera
* Stereo speakers
* 2 GB M2 memory stick
* FM radio with RDS
* Macromedia Flash
* Java
* PictBridge printing
* RSS feeds
* Access NetFront Web browser
* Phone memory: Up to 28 MB
* Memory Stick Micro (M2) support
* Talk time GSM: Up to 9 hrs 30 min
* Standby time GSM: Up to 360 hrs
* Talk time UMTS: Up to 4 hrs 30 min (W898c: n/a)
* Standby time UMTS: Up to 310 hrs (W898c: n/a)
* Video call time: Up to 3 hrs (W898c: n/a)
* Music listening time: Up to 20 hrs
* Networks (W890): UMTS/HSDPA 2100 GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
* Networks (W898c): GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
(www.phonemag.com)