Summary of Features
- 1.8" LCD screen at a resolution of 320x240
- Formats: MP3, unprotected AAC, WMA for audio. JPG for images. MPEG4 and AVC for video.
- FM radio with 30 presets
- Dimensions: 3.1" x 1.6" x 0.4"
- Battery life: 33 hours of audio, 9.5 hrs video
- S-615 (2GB, $120) - available in black, pink, red, silver
- S-616 (4GB, $160) - available in all four colors
- S-618 (8GB, $210) - available in only black
The abandonment of Sony's proprietary formats means that the new Walkman works with subscription services such as Rhapsody and Napster, while losing compatibility with the dying Sony Connect service. Support for unprotected AAC means that DRM-free music purchased from iTunes, or CDs ripped through iTunes will play on the S610 with no problems.
On the pictures side, format support is far more limited relegated to only JPEG files. Video fares better supporting two formats (MPEG4, and AVC/h.264), but is still less than some competing media players such as the Samsung YP-P2. Following other new generation players, video is played back at a full 30 frames per second (FPS), where some older generation media players were capped at a choppy 15FPS.
Controlling the device is accomplished through tactile buttons on the front that include directional buttons for navigating the menus, and playback specific controls. The interface itself is graphical using an icon-based menu system as the "home" menu, which is accessible at any time by the "home" button on the front of the player.
