Sony Electronics unveiled its second generation CLIE (pronounced klee-AY) handheld, marking the first time a Palm-PoweredTM handheld will offer an embedded digital audio player and a high-resolution (320 x 320 pixels) color screen.

Drawing from Sony’s expertise in the personal audio, digital display and handheld categories, the newly designed CLIE PEG-N710C handheld delivers a rich multimedia experience while retaining all of the easy-to-use functionality of the Palm® operating system.

The new handheld will be available at retailers nationwide in June for less than $500. The product can be pre-ordered beginning May 1, at www.sonystyle.com/clie.

“Never before has something designed for the hand so excited the eyes and ears,” said Russell Paik, vice president of handheld marketing at Sony Electronics. “The high-resolution color screen delivers amazing clarity and crispness to your images and fonts, while the embedded digital audio player belts out your favorite tunes without the need for an add-on audio module. And because it operates on the industry standard Palm OS, the new CLIE handheld allows you to check your calendar or address book quickly and easily.”