We here at dapreview have become rather spoiled by the steady stream of touchscreen players coming out lately. It seems like most companies have all but abandoned the once dominant tactile control for a more fingers-on approach. Today, Sony refreshed our memories with their newest Walkman, the E440 series. Like last year's E340 series, the E440 has a circular D-pad and matching menu buttons. A configuration that many here have coined the "Mickey Mouse" control scheme. The new Walkman is 9.3mm's thin, and comes in two colors, a solid black one, and a striking two-tone red and black model. Besides the new looks, not much has changed under the hood from previous generations.

Features

• Capacity: 4, 8, and 16GB
• Display: 2.0" LCD (320 x 240)
• Audio: MP3, WMA, and AAC
• Video: MPEG-4 SP, WMV, and H.264
• FM Tuner and recorder
• Battery life: 30 hours for Audio, 6 hours for video

According to Sony Europe, the players will start shipping later this month. A US release will inevitably follow.

Press Release

via engadget

Thanks bloodycape!