Sony Ericsson W995 wins over sceptical reviewer

The Sony Ericsson W995 may seem to be just another entry into the manufacturer’s long line of music-focused Walkman devices, but it appears to have impressed one reviewer.

Sandra Vogel states in an article this week there are many reasons the firm should adopt a broader approach to creating new models rather than concentrating on specific facilities such as audio.

Writing for Trusted Reviews, she says Sony Ericsson appears to be leaving behind the Walkman music and Cyber-shot camera models in favour of “all-rounders” like the recently announced Yari, Aino and Satio.

However, Ms Vogel explains that although this is a move she has wanted for some time, this latest W-branded model has won her over – despite the fact that for the most part we have “seen it all before”.

“I can’t help liking the W995,” she adds. “It is not exactly a revolution, but with GPS, Wi-Fi, excellent music playback and control, and a decent camera, it’s certainly a feature-rich handset.”

The simplicity and build quality of the device are also praised and although the screen is “a little on the small size”, she concludes the Sony Ericsson W995 could be great last hurrah for the Walkman series if this is the direction the company takes.

Announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February this year, the new device follows other W-branded handsets into the market that have included the W200, W205, W300, W380, W700, W900 and W980.

The Walkman name comes from Sony’s personal stereo range, which emerged in the late 1970s.

Have you ever owned a Sony Ericsson Walkman device and if so, how did it perform as a music player?