Hands on: Nano baiting Bluetooth Walkman

Sony’s new sliver of black plastic and glass has the iPod squarely in its sights, and there’s a chance it could topple Cupertino’s music box, thanks to beefier innards and swish software.See, the new A829 Walkman packs in capacities up to 16GB of flash - twice the maximum capacity of a nano, while also offering up a larger 2.4 inch screen.Inside there’s Bluetooth too, ready to stream sounds to headphones, Hi-Fis and car stereos.Best of all, however, is Sony’s slick new Walkman software. Nips and tucks have made this the easiest to use of Sony’s players, with intelligent shuffling, simple search, and super-clear menus.It’s a shame the Walkman can’t create playlists on the go, and that its companion software is PC only (and more than a little awkward to use), but they’re minor gripes. Load up your music, videos and photos and we guarantee you’ll have few complaints.Check out our video below for a closer look, and see why Sony might have finally found a chink in the iPod’s armour.

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