Sony Unveils New Walkman Lineup

In its continuing effort to win market share away from Apple's ubiquitous iPod, Sony on Thursday took the wraps off a new line of Walkman portable audio players, which the company says offers features not found in competing devices.

Five new Walkman models will debut before the end of the year, offering capacities up to 4GB. The players are shaped like a small perfume bottle, with the high-end model priced at 29,000 yen ($240) in Japan. But Sony acknowledges it has a long way to go if it wants to unseat Apple.

"Sony has a lot of strengths that Apple doesn't have," said Hiroshi Yoshioka, senior vice president of Sony's audio division in a press conference Thursday. "This is a device that takes advantage of them." Yoshioka added that Sony expects to double its market share from 10 to 20 percent.

The new Walkman lineup includes the ability to upload music directly from a CD player, as well as a built-in noise cancellation feature. Battery life is just three hours after only three minutes of charging, and the players come in four colors.

Sony is also preparing a Walkman with video capabilities, Yoshioka said. ""We are developing a product that handles images, but I cannot make any comment on specific plans," he said, refusing to elaborate further.

Apple has seen great success with its video-capable iPod, and continue to hold over 75 percent of the digital audio player market, according to market research group NPD, which counts retail sales of products.