Over 32 million adult Americans plan to buy an iPod digital media device within the next 12 months, a new study reveals.

A recent study by TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence shows of those questioned who have heard of the iPod, more than 140 million American adults have not heard of Sony's just-announced Walkman Phone -- a major competitor to Apple's handheld player.

The Walkman Phone, known as the the W800, includes a 512 megabyte (MB) memory stick with capacity to handle cards up to 4 gigabytes. The phone also includes a 2-megapixel camera. A simpler version called the W600 will offer 256 MB of memory and a 1.3-megapixel camera. It will hit the market in the fourth quarter of this year.

The research firm said "our findings suggest that the Walkman Phone is poorly positioned for a head-to-head match up against Apple's iPod or Dell's Digital Jukebox."

"While the generic concept generally does well among consumers and those who crave convenience, (the Walkman Phone) has a weak showing among the consumer groups that propelled Apple's iPod to superstardom," wrote TechnoMetrica analyst Constantine Kambanis.

According to Kambanis, "at this stage in the game, the iPod generation -- and that term encompasses more than age -- appears to be shunning the Walkman Phone, even at the conceptual stage."

The report also confirmed that Apple's prime iPod demographic is "young people, those with a college education as well as those with relatively high household incomes."

The study surveyed a random sample of 1,002 adult American consumers.