Sony Ericsson W300i: A walkman phone for everyman

Crave has always had a hankering to own a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone -- but they're as expensive as a flight to New York if you're not willing to get a monthly contract. Now we're getting interested, though, as the company has announced a cheaper model, the W300i.

The W300i is a bona fide clamshell Walkman mobile phone with FM radio, speakerphone, VGA camera, infrared, Bluetooth, expandable Memory Stick Micro slot, exchangeable covers and it even has quad-band capabilities.

It's got a 25mm (1-inch) monochrome screen on the front to view MP3 track information and a decent sized internal 262,144-colour screen that measures 46mm (1.8 inches) diagonally, and will fit nicely in your pocket.

The W300i claims to have a battery life of a remarkable 9.5 hours' talk time and 400 hours' standby time. If this is true, it means that using it as a phone and an MP3 player won't drain the battery after only one day. And to top it off, it will be available on pay as you go for under £200.

Sony Ericsson has announced that this phone should be in the shops around April, so save up those pennies, and expect a full review here soon.-AL

Update: A full review of the Sony Ericsson W300i is now live in our Reviews channel.