The Sony Ericsson W508 was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas. It will feature the SenseMe technology and allow style-up covers.

The W508 will also support HSDPA connectivity, and will be quad-band compatible in the GSM side. The phone will have a M2 memory card slot with support for up to a 16GB memory card. As its form factor is clamshell, there will be two displays, the larger one with QVGA resolution (240x320 pixels).

The SenseMe technology will allow the user to "raise the volume or set the shuffle function by giving your phone a quick shake", or "switch [the alarm] to snooze or mute the volume with a sweep of your palm without having to fumble for the off button". The use of the accelerometer (motion sensor) is being cleverly used in more and more mobile devices.

Sony Ericsson says in the specifications page that the W508 might suffer from limited market availability. Although the phone supports interchangeable covers, only two are available: metal grey, and poetical white.

"The W508 Walkman phone builds on our iconic Walkman range and the successful W380." said Alexandre Cardon, Global Product Marketing Manager (music) at Sony Ericsson. "For those who like to express their style and individuality through their mobile phone we've brought our creative design team in to design stylish changeable covers so that W508 offers a truly interactive and individual experience."

Another highlight of the phone is that it is compatible with Sony Ericsson's Play Now arena, which allows DRM-free music download.

The phone is to be available in selected markets from Q2 2009. The price is not known.

Press release after the break, as well as press images.

[Image: Engadget Mobile]

Enjoy your music in your style with the Sony Ericsson W508 Walkman™ mobile phone

08 January 2009Show your style with the customisable W508 Walkman™ phone. With eight changeable Style-Up™ covers to choose from as well as SensMe™, consumers can personalise the W508 to suit their mood and get a real hands-on interactive experience

Las Vegas, USA – January 7, 2009 – Enjoy music the way you want it with the W508 Walkman™ phone. Consumers can have the most interactive mobile experience as individual as they are, with clever technology such as Shake and Gesture control, SenseMe™ and TrackID™, as well as one extra Style-Up™ cover with the W508.

“The W508 Walkman™ phone builds on our iconic Walkman™ range and the successful W380.” said Alexandre Cardon, Global Product Marketing Manager (music) at Sony Ericsson. “For those who like to express their style and individuality through their mobile phone we’ve brought our creative design team in to design stylish changeable covers so that W508 offers a truly interactive and individual experience.”

Shake control and Gesture control allows you to become your own DJ with just a flick of your wrist – raise the volume or set the shuffle function by giving your phone a quick shake. Is that alarm getting to you? Switch it to snooze or mute the volume with a sweep of your palm without having to fumble for the off button.

The W508 also includes popular Walkman™ features such as SensMe™, for matching your mood to the music and touch keys on top to play, stop and skip tracks. A 3.2 megapixel camera, HSDPA and 1GB M2 card completes the W508 offering for any trend setter.

Can’t get that song out of your head but have no idea what it’s called? Use TrackID™ with text search and you’ll have the answer at a touch of a button. Also available on the W508 is PlayNow™ arena which provides a full range of mobile entertainment downloadable from your handset - unique themes and wallpapers, traditional and specially developed ringtones and music tones, a wealth of free content and of course DRM-free music tracks and TrackID™ charts from around the world.

The new W508 Walkman™
Walkman™ my style

• One extra Style-Up™ cover in the box – change your mobile phone with your mood
• Walkman™ player
• HSDPA – download content quickly with a faster web experience
• Touch music keys on top – switch tracks the easy way
• TrackID™ with text search – find your favourite songs in seconds
• PlayNow™ arena – customise your mobile phone with unique ringtones and wallpapers
• Shake control– skip through your tracks with a flick of the hand
• Gesture control - Move your hand above the W508 to mute an incoming call or put the alarm clock on snooze without touching it.

The W508 Walkman™ supports HSDPA 2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. The W508a supports HSDPA 850/1900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.   W508 Walkman™ will be available in selected markets from Q2 in the colours Metal Grey and Poetic White.

The Sony Ericsson W508 Walkman™ at a glance

Camera

• 3.2 megapixel camera
• Up to 3.2x digital zoom
• Photo fix
• Picture blogging
• Video blogging
• Video recording

Music

• Walkman™ player
• Album art
• Mega Bass™
• PlayNow™
• TrackID™
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• Shake control
• SensMe™

Web

• Access NetFront™ Web browser
• Web feeds
• Photo feeds

Communication

• Speakerphone
• Polyphonic ringtones
• Vibrating alert
• Video calling

Messaging

• Email
• Text messaging (SMS)
• Chat View
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Exchange ActiveSync®
• Instant messaging
• Predictive text input
• Sound recorder

Design

• Auto rotate
• Gesture control
• Picture wallpaper
• Wallpaper animation

Entertainment

• Media
• YouTube™
• 3D games
• Motion gaming
• Java
• FM radio with RDS
• Video streaming
• Video viewing
• Walk Mate

Connectivity

• Bluetooth™ technology
• Modem
• Synchronization
• USB mass storage
• USB support

Organizer

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Flight mode
• Notes
• Phone book
• Stopwatch
• Tasks
• Timer

Accessories
In-Box:

• W508
• Battery
• Battery Charger
• 1GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™)
• USB cable
• Stereo PHF
• Sony Ericsson PC Suite
• Media manager
• User guide
• 1 extra Style-Up™ Cover

Optional:

• Portable Speakers MPS-100
• Powerful, versatile and compact speakers

• FM Music Transmitter MMR-70
• Create your own FM radio station in an instant

• Phone Case IPC-40
• Protect your phone in style

Facts and Figures 1)2)

• Size: 93.5 x 50 x 14 mm
• Weight: 98 grams

• Colours:
• Metal Grey with one extra Style-Up™ cover:
• Sunny Orange, Forest Green, Architectural Purple or Mysterious Graffiti

• Poetic White with one extra Style-Up™ cover:
• Midnight Summer, Splashed Art, Radial Blue or Street Hip-hop

• Main screen: 262,144 colour TFT, scratch-resistant
• Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
• Size: 2.2 inches

• External screen: Monochromatic OLED, scratch-resistant
• Resolution: 128 x 36 pixels
• Size: 1.1 inches

• Phone memory: Up to 100MB
• Memory card support: Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™)

• Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 10 hrs
• Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 400 hrs

• Talk time UMTS: Up to 4 hrs
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 400 hrs

• Video call time: Up to 2 hrs
• Music listening time: Up to 24 hrs

Availability and versions
Networks:

• W508:
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• UMTS/HSDPA 2100

• W508a:
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100

• Available in selected markets from Q2 2009.