The W910i is the latest in Sony-Ericsson’s Walkman range and is probably the nicest looking of the bunch. Based upon the W580, it is another slide phone, with very simple controls on the front which can be used to control music playback and will be instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with the Walkman range.

The large 2.4” screen is sure to be one of many things to enhance the experience of the Walkman phone, especially when compared to this model pre-cursor, the W580 which had a very small screen. This was a strange decision for a Walkman phone, but the W910i doesn’t make the same mistake as it employs a very capable screen which compliments the new & improved Walkman interface. With 3G technology included, quick-music downloads are sure top be a useful feature.

The W910i though is a Walkman phone with a difference, as it combines some new twists to try and keep it in the spotlight ahead of increasing competition from Nokia in particular as well as others.

One of these new features is the ‘Shake Control’ which will allow users to shuffle or skip tracks in playlists or albums with a quick shake in the relevant direction. For example; forwards will skip forwards, backwards will skip backwards, or a shake back & forth will shuffle the current playlist. Implementing a feature such as this is a very-bold move by Sony Ericsson and shows there commitment to keeping ahead of the competition.

One of the more interesting new features though is the SenseMe application. This application will designate a mood to each track based on its tempo and style and then create a designated playlist for the related moods. Though it remains to be seen if a feature like this would become widely employed throughout many other of Sony Ericsson’s other music phones, the SenseMe application is certain to add a bit more colour to the standard music-applications.

With a 2 Megapixel camera built-in, the W910i may not be competition for Sony Ericsson’s dedicated camera phones such as the K850, but that is not what this phones all about, although the camera itself is more than adequate.

Overall the Sony Ericsson W910i is an extremely capable device, and some of the new & improved music features along with the excellent Walkman Player are guaranteed to make this the handset of choice for those looking for a music phone with a difference.