Sony wants you to put aside your iPod and pick up the new Sony W710 Walkman phone when going to the gym. Designed for those with a sporty lifestyle, the W710 comes with a motion sensor, and a new set of fitness-related phone applications - right from measuring your running speed, distance and time to counting how many steps you've walked.

Like the other newly announced phone, the Z710, the Sony W710 takes in Memory Stick Micro (M2), a default 512MB provided with the phone and a maximum of 1GB. Seems little for a Walkman phone, though. The phone has been re-designed with a sporty look, and is equipped with a 2 megapixel camera as well.

When you are on your daily run, simply access the jogging application (accessible both from the sub-display and the main display) to measure speed and distance covered. A daily step counter remembers your progress, displaying it even during phone standby (of course, the counter gets reset at midnight).

With a phone like this, you must be wondering how uncool it would be to stand in the middle of the road and fiddle around with the phone to start an application or jump to the next track. Fear not, Sony Ericsson has put in quick access keys so you won't have to do that. The fitness app, Walkman player and FM radio can be controlled using the external display and keys provided by its side - without having to open the phone.

A whole bundle of accessories are available, but the one you cannot absolutely do without is the Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-65. This handsfree comes with ear hooks and give a stable fit and won't fall off when you are running. With Megabass, music quality is taken to the next level. The Sony W710 has a flight mode as well, so you can use it only as a music player minus the SIM.

Available versions:

• Sony W710i Quad Band EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Americas
• W710c Quad Band EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 for Mainland China