In a move to differentiate itself in the smartphone 
market with a familiar and once-beloved brand in portable music, Sony Ericsson is planning to push a new device carrying the Walkman name. The Live with Walkman is an Android smartphone that promises a unique social music experience.
But can it deliver against Apple's iPhone? Although no one has yet successfully competed with the iPhone in music thanks in large part to iTunes, Sony Ericsson will give it a try with its new smartphone.
"Consumers want smartphones to deliver a rich and social entertainment experience," said Nikolaus Scheurer, head of product marketing at Sony Ericsson. "Rather than a one-dimensional music experience, they want instant and seamless access to new content, combined with the ability to share and connect with their friends."
Reviving the Walkman Brand
Scheurer made a bold promise: The Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman provides all that in a "powerful package with great style." Although it's doubtful that Sony Ericsson's latest innovation is keeping Apple up at night, consumers may find some features worthy of a look.
For example, the phone sports a dedicated Walkman hardware button that offers instant access to the music player. Consumers can also like, share and discover content through Facebook integration . Meanwhile, an infinite button lets consumers explore, and the Qriocity service from Sony provides music and video content.
"I wouldn't say that the brand equity in Walkman is nearly as strong as it was a decade ago, but it still does immediately conjure -- at least in people my age -- the image of an enhanced music experience," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "The key for Sony Ericsson is to actually deliver that enhanced music experience, because Walkman phones sold in the U.S. never even had the ability to access music services."
Differentiated Software?
Beyond the Walkman name, Sony Ericsson hopes to differentiate, in part, with software. The Media Discovery application lets consumers get recommendations on music and videos from friends. TrackID identifies the music track consumers are listening to within the FM radio and music player. The track can then instantly be shared or downloaded. And Sony's xLOUD technology works to enhance audio output from built-in speakers at high levels.
Hardware-wise, the phone offers a curved design with a mineral glass display, a 3.2-inch screen, and a one-gigahertz processor. A front-facing camera is enabled for Skype video calling, and a five-megapixel autofocus camera can capture 720p HD video recording.
Still, the challenge for Sony Ericsson in the U.S. is the fact that it's not a major player in the U.S. market. That said, Sony Ericsson did introduce the Xperia Play to Verizon Wireless, its first effort stateside in about a decade.
"There isn't enough positive to say about the Walkman brand and its performance in the U.S. at this point, keeping in mind that even today iPod sales are dropping," Greengart said. "Still, using these brands as consumer shorthands to encourage people to associate the device with a better entertainment experience is a positive --if they can provide a better entertainment experience."
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