SONY Ericsson has taken the wraps off eight new handsets that are slated to hit local retails shelves this year. An upgraded Cybershot phone and a slimmer Walkman handset are among the key offerings that are expected to bolster the company's bid for a spot among the world's top three phone makers.

This time round, Sony Ericsson, currently fourth in terms of global market share, has chosen a dual-pronged strategy of upgrading its high-end offerings as well as launching lower-cost variants of its premium handsets to reach out to the masses.

Leading the product onslaught is the W880i, a slimmed-down version of the firm's music-centric Walkman phones.

Touted to be as thin as a CD case, the 3G handset has a thickness of only 9.4mm and comes in a stainless steel casing.

It is bundled with a 1GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card that is capable of storing around 900 songs. Besides providing more storage space, the W880i also incorporates upgraded tools for searching and transferring music tracks.

For example, it has a new application called TrackID which allows customers to record parts of an unknown song and check it against a worldwide music database. Upon verification, details like the name of the track and album, as well as the artist, will be sent to the user.

Besides music-related features, the W880i sports a host of multimedia frills like an integrated 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity and support for picture blogging. It will be launched by March in silver and black hues but pricing has not been confirmed.

Also joining the line-up is the W610i, a cut-price Walkman phone geared towards the everyday consumer. The tri-band offering mirrors the music centric features of its higher-end counterpart but it comes in a different finishing, and is bundled with a 512MB M2 card. The W610i will be available by the second quarter.

Sony Ericsson's stable of new products also includes the K810i, the updated version of its flagship Cybershot phone which was launched last year. Like its predecessor, the handset has an integrated 3.2 megapixel camera and other features like a Xenon flash. However, the 3G-enabled K810i now includes a set of illuminated keys for quick access to settings like flash and macro when it is in camera mode.

In addition, it comes with a tool called Photofix which allows users to perform tasks like correcting underexposed pictures directly without using a PC.

Like its Walkman series, a lower end 2-megapixel Cybershot phone - dubbed K550i - is also set to make its debut. The K810i will hit local stores by June while the K550i will be launched in the first quarter.

Beyond these four handsets, Sony Ericsson will also launch four entry-level phones in Asia in the first half of this year. However, these products offer basic functionalities like a lower resolution screen and a VGA camera.

They are aimed largely at emerging markets like India and is not likely to make an appearance in Singapore. Sony Ericsson said prices of the products will be announced shortly.

This article first appeared in BT on February 08, 2007