Sony introduced a new addition to its Walkman line in Europe with the E450. The new device has a new Karaoke mode that lets users sync lyrics of a song and reduces the original singer’s vocal level using custom software. There’s video playback on the device as well. A new Language Learning function is also present, allowing looping a phrase at reduced playback speed, but without a loss of clarity or change of pitch.
Sony’s SenseMe technology creates themed channels by analyzing and categorizing a music library. A Bookmark function lets users create or edit up to five personal playlists. Like other non-touch Walkman players, the E450 has a battery life of 50 hours of music or 10 hours of video playback.
At the same time as launching the new player, the existing OLED-equipped A840 Walkman gets a new white color option and a new, higher capacity of 64GB. The new Walkmans will ship in August, though pricing hasn’t been announced.