Sony Ericsson’s Walkman range gets another option today, as the company announced their W980i Walkman music phone.  With 8GB of onboard storage, a built-in FM transmitter to send audio through to a car stereo, TrackID to identify music and access to the PlayNow online music store to subsequently buy it, the W980i has definitely been made with music in mind.  All of the Walkman functionality - including playback controls - has been reproduced on the front panel; Sony Ericsson call it “Walkman on Top”, and it basically means you can adjust your music without needing to open the clamshell.

An FM radio, eight equaliser presets and a new stereo handsfree kit, the HPM-77, round out this UMTS/HSDPA 2100 GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 cellphone, which should be available from June 2008.

We’ll have hands-on video footage of the Sony Ericsson W980i in action, later on this evening.