Sony Ericsson W350i unveiled

12 June 2008

New flip Walkman handset enables fast and easy "sound snacking"

Sony Ericsson has officially launched their new W350i handset along with some interesting scientific research. With the aid of a Cambridge psychologist, the manufacturer surveyed more than 200 British participants in determining how different music genres affect our mood. Each subject was subjected to a 30 second piece of music (aptly named a "sound snack") with a saliva sample taken prior and after the piece of music. The results found that Spanish Latin caused the biggest rise in stress; Bulgarian Hip Hop had the most detrimental effect on the immune systems of British men, while British Soul had the most sexually stimulating effect.

As well as a bit of fun, Sony Ericsson claims that the survey also showed that a large proportion of people rarely listen to a track from start to finish, opting instead to move to the next one before the previous one has ended. With this in mind, the Sony Ericsson W350i has been designed so that the positioning of the music controls - found on the front of the handset - allows a quick change of tracks. The handset itself measures a mere 10mm thick, with the flip design hiding the numeric keypad. Other features include TrackID while the onboard memory can store up to 470 tracks or 40 albums.

The Sony Ericsson W350i is available in a range of colours now from most retail stores, with a recommended retail price of £69.99.