Sony's Walkman Bean

Sony Walkman Bean, RIP?

As the next generation of MP3 players line up to do battle with the vaunted iPod, Apple's portable music juggernaut continues to dispatch with entries from its rivals.

Sony Corp. will discontinue its Walkman Bean portable music players in April, less than six months after the colorful, kidney-shaped player hit the market, according to several UK media reports. The company confirmed the decision to UK newspapers The Telegraph and The Independent.

But a US-based Sony spokesperson characterized the move as more of a product upgrade than a white flag.

"We replace models all the time," company spokesperson Rachel Branch wrote in an e-mail. "At this point, the Bean is still available and I don't know when, if, or how it will be replaced."

Whether the move is an indication that Sony is throwing in the towel or simply uncorking a better player, the Walkman Bean failed to make inroads despite being smaller and cheaper than the majority of iPod models. It also boasted a 50-hour battery life.