Sony is attacking Apple’s iPod Shuffle market with two new MP3 players in a similar price bracket, but with better battery life and a screen.

The Walkman Bean is a palm-sized MP3 player that comes with 1Gb or 512Mb of storage and 50 hours of battery life. The models will be priced at ?99 and ?79 respectively.

“Walkman Bean is sure to be the most instantly appealing digital music player on the market,” said Gregory Kukolj, general manager for Sony Personal Audio Europe.

“Walkman Bean combines striking design with optimum functionality and is fun, engaging and simple to use. All that, combined with an attractive price point, will make Walkman Bean irresistible to the consumer.”

The Bean comes in four colours: Tropical Ice (blue), Cotton Candy (pink), Licorice (black) and Coconut (white), reflecting the jelly beans it is designed to resemble. Music is downloaded via a pop-out USB port.

The Bean’s battery life is a significant improvement on the iPod Shuffle’s 12-15 hours and the new device also has a quick charge facility that can give three hours playing time on a three-minute charge.