14 DAY TRIAL // People will always need music-oriented phones, and since Sony Ericsson knows that quite well, it's getting ready to present a brand new handset from the Walkman series. Codenamed Sony Ericsson Rika, this small phone is a slider that apparently comes as the “music brother” (or sister, if you may) of the Web-oriented G705, which was officially unveiled less than two weeks ago.
Appeared over at the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog, the new Walkman phone borrows a lot from the design of G705: the same square-ish shape, the same screen and front-facing camera positioning. Since it's from the Walkman family, however, Rika has dedicated music keys instead of the traditional navigation pad included in the G705. Also, the Walkman handset has a brushed metal finishing, which makes it look quite distinct.
Unfortunately, apart from what is mentioned above, there are no details regarding the features of Rika. Also, we can't say for the moment what the official name of the handset will be. There are some chances for it to be called Sony Ericsson W705, but we'd better wait for an official confirmation on this one.
Judging by the fact that they're “related phones”, we should expect the new Walkman to bring about all the capabilities of G705, plus more advanced music features. Thus, Rika should bring Wi-Fi, GSM and HSDPA connectivity, a camera of at least 3 Megapixels, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and so on.
The G705 has made a pretty solid impression until now, as it's both good looking and well-featured, so it is highly probable that the new Rika will follow its footsteps.
As for the release date of Sony Ericsson Rika, this is yet another mystery. Still, it's said that SE will unveil the slider in the next few months, making it commercially available just before Christmas. So, would you be interested in a "Rika present"?