Walkman phones explained

Walkman phones are handsets in Sony Ericsson’s Walkman branded range of music phones. These are handsets that harness Sony’s long-established stereo know-how to offer the kind of brilliant sonic experience that you’d expect from the company that pioneered the idea of personal stereos.

However, the phrase Walkman phones is also used colloquially to refer to any handset that teams music player functionality with smartphone features. Here we'll provide an in-depth guide to what you can expect to find in the latest Walkman phones to help you make the right buying decision.

Why choose a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone?

As the company that invented the Walkman, Sony’s expertise in the sphere of portable music players is beyond doubt. This is evident in the high-end functionality that is on show across its entire range of music phones.

A key feature of Sony Ericsson Walkman phones is the incorporation of advanced stereo technology such as Clear Stereo and Clear Bass. This tech, which delivers the kind of rich, full sound you might normally only get in a dedicated music listening device, is exclusive to Sony - meaning you won’t find it in any other companies’ phones.

Further improving the Walkman experience for music fans is the company's unique player interface and its phones' dedicated stereo buttons and equaliser presets. These make it easy to access your music library and hear your music the way you want to.

Owners of Sony Ericsson Walkman phones also get access to the PlayNow store. This is an online download store which offers a massive library of music as well as great games and everything you need to customise your handset.

Media Go is another software exclusive to Sony Ericsson. Best described as an entertainment organiser, this simplifies transferring your music and media to your handset, so that even less experienced phone users will find it easy to keep their music collection synced. Simply drag and drop your files between your PC and your phone - it's that simple.

Users of Media Go will also benefit from its capacity to convert music files automatically for the best quality sound possible.

Looking for another type of Sony Ericsson phone? Compare all the latest Sony Ericsson phones at uSwitch now.

Who else makes ‘Walkman phones'?

A music player is now a fairly standard feature in handsets. And it’s principally for this reason that many people use the term 'Walkman phones' to mean any handset that offers music playing functionality.

Some of the best music phones from other manufacturers include Apple’s iPhones. These stand out for their impressive design and sound quality, and also for the fact that they offer full compatibility with the iTunes music download service.

HTC's handsets that come with Beats Audio technology have also garnered plaudits from phone buyers and reviewers alike. These offer studio-like sound quality for music just as the artists intended. Some even come with a free pair of Beats headphones, which normally retail for premium prices when bought separately.

Want another brand of music phone? Compare all the best music phones at uSwitch now.

Buying a Walkman phone

Apart from price, one important consideration when picking a Walkman phone is storage capacity. If you’re planning to use your handset as your primary music player, it’s a good idea to seek out a mobile with plenty of storage for you to take all your songs with you. To this end, as well as comparing on board memory, it’s worth checking if the model you’re considering lets you expand its capacity by adding a memory card. Depending on your handset’s specifications, these swappable cards allow users to boost the handset's memory to up to 32GB.

One other important factor to consider is choosing a contract with a generous data usage limit. If you’re planning on streaming tunes and adding to your music library while you’re on the go, it’s vital that you choose a pay monthly plan that allows you to do so.

Compare all mobile phone tariffs at uSwitch now.

Walkman phones & free gifts

All Walkman phones come with free headphones for you to enjoy your music in excellent quality. However, shoppers who take the time to look through our comparison tables can also find some amazingly attractive deals that offer everything from a free Nintendo Wii to a free laptop.

Can't see what you're looking for? Compare all the latest mobile phones at uSwitch now.