O Walkman it was so successful that in some places it became synonymous with a portable cassette player. That’s why Sony did not hesitate to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the line with a peculiar launch: the company brought to IFA 2019 a commemorative version of the Walkman.
No, the novelty does not play tapes. With the official name of NW-A100TPS, the commemorative edition is nothing more than a digital music player whose look refers to the original Walkman (the model TPS-L2).
The device brings 16 GB for internal storage and has an estimated battery life of 26 hours of playback. The technical file also includes USB-C port, NFC, Wi-Fi, microSD reader and headphone connection. If you want to use wireless headphones, that’s fine: the Walkman comes with Bluetooth 5.0.
In addition to being compatible with various audio standards, such as MP3, AAC and FLAC, the Walkman works with streaming platforms. To facilitate the compatibility of these services and features, Sony based the player on Android 9 Pie – to some extent, the model is a rival to the iPod Touch.
Another feature that deserves mention: the commemorative Walkman has a front cover with an opening for the screen that shows an animation that simulates a cassette tape running.
When this cover is opened, we are faced with the screen in full size: it is a 3.6 inch TFT panel and HD resolution.
Nice reminder from #SonyIFA that #Sony changed how we listened on the move with #walkman and now a 40th anniversary edition # IFA19pic.twitter.com/vhyNKVbALV
– Dan Todaro (@DFTodaro) September 5, 2019
Sony also points out that the player has a DSEE HX processor, which recovers losses from compressed audio, and an S-Master HX amplifier for cleaner sound.
Only this is an expensive tribute. The price for the United States has not yet been released, but in Europe, it is estimated that the commemorative Walkman will cost € 440. The device is accompanied by IER-NW510N headphones, with noise cancellation.
With information: CNET.