Slipping the stylishly slim W890i music mobile phone into its Walkman phone line-up, Sony Ericsson is aiming to repeat the W880i’s feat of combining classy minimalist design with crowd-pleasing functionality.

And with this successor boasting an upgraded feature set, enhanced 3G HSDPA high-speed data connectivity, and a smattering of well-judged design refinements, the Sony Ericsson W890i is a refresh that could well have even broader appeal than the super-slim original.

The latest and greatest Walkman

Naturally, with any Walkman phone, the music player takes centre stage. Sony Ericsson has loaded up the Sony Ericsson W890i with the latest Walkman 3.0 software, and supplies the phone with a 2GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card in-box. An FM radio is included in the spec too. But the W890i isn’t just about tune-playing.

Camera quality has been boosted, with a 3.2-megapixel shooter squeezed into the back panel (albeit still without a flash). 

The Sony Ericsson W890i’s 3G HSDPA data speeds promise faster downloading of content and an improved web browsing experience, while video calling is possible using its secondary front camera.

Interestingly too, Sony Ericsson has pre-loaded a Google Maps mobile application which delivers a handy location mapping, satellite imaging and navigation service without onboard GPS.

Slim but sturdy

Sony Ericsson hasn’t tinkered too much with the fine-looking W880i’s design, although it has toned down some of the bolder elements. Its dimensions are comparable to the W880i – 104(h) x 47(w) x 10(d) mm and weighing a satisfyingly slight 78g.

Despite its thinness, the Sony Ericsson W890i’s casing is all classy brushed metal, which gives both a luxury-crafted air and a robust feel to the phone.

There’s been a subtle smoothing of the design, with more curves where there was previously sharp angles, and the colour scheme is more restrained – it’s available in espresso black, sparkling silver or mocha brown - without the vibrant orange that’s something of a Walkman phone trademark.

A more practical mobile phone

Pleasingly, Sony Ericsson has reworked the Sony Ericsson W890i’s numberpad, replacing the W880i’s ultra-thin and admittedly funky keys with a set of larger, less cutting-edge - but more user-practical - number buttons.

These make button tapping much easier, and the keys are nice and responsive to press.