Sony Ericsson launches W508 Walkman phone with gesture controls

Sony Ericsson W508

Sony Ericsson W508

Sony Ericsson has announced the W508, the newest addition to its line of Walkman music phones. Featuring exchangeable, colorfully designed covers, the W508 flip phone is geared toward music enthusiasts and sports external music keys, gesture controls, and the popular Walkman music player.

The W508 features gesture controls for controlling the phone's music playback and alarm. Shake the phone to raise the volume or to turn on the shuffle function. A sweep of the palm over the phone can turn off an alarm or mute the Walkman music player's volume, too. Sony Ericsson's SensMe and TrackID technologies are also on-board.

The W508 features a 3.2 megapixel camera, HSDPA and EDGE data support, and Bluetooth stereo for wireless listening. A 1GB M2 memory card and an extra Style-Up cover are included in the sales package.

The base W508 will support quad-band GSM/EDGE connections and UMTS/HSDPA on the 2100MHz band, while the W508a for the Americas will have additional support for UMTS and HSDPA on the 850 and 1900MHz bands. The phone, in Metal Gray and Poetic White, will be available in the second quarter of 2009 in select markets.