Walkman
Latest
Sony's NWZ-X1000 Walkman PMP handled on video
It looks like if you want to get a hands-on with Sony's latest Walkman, the touchscreen NWZ-X1000, you've got to do two things: travel to Japan, and seriously glad-hand the product. Despite our efforts in Vegas, the Sony crew wouldn't let us snag the player from under its glass housing, but the Stuff team gets to toy with the OLED-faced PMP in this video. From the looks of things, Sony is at pains to recreate something akin to Cover Flow, but the rest of the UI looks sadly like a whole bunch of Windows CE-based devices we see coming out of Asia on a daily basis. Of course, this might be an early iteration of the interface, so we'll hold our final judgments till we get a thorough hands-on with the PMP. The player is set to come in 16GB and 32GB iterations, and will launch sometime this Summer. For now, enjoy the video after the break.Update: Sony's people tell us that you're looking at $299 for the 16GB and $399 for 32 -- right in line with the iPod touch.[Via anythingbutipod]
Sony's flexible OLED mockups
Sony hasn't gotten very far along with these units -- they're really just plastic shells -- but we like we're they're headed with it. They showed off a full-screen laptop (pictured), bendable e-reader, and Walkman bracelet concepts, all based around flexible OLED technology and built with "flexible bioplastics," along with the flexible display that going to power them all when they hit the market... in the year 2000.%Gallery-41877%
Sony OLED Walkman NWZ-X1000 eyes-on
We've been trying to get a legitimate hands-on with Sony's OLED-infused Walkman since we first caught the device on Wednesday, but security's been super tight in the Sony booth and we couldn't distract anyone long enough to unscrew the casing. So we can't get an actual hands-on with the Walkman, but we don't need to touch it to know that the OLED is seriously gorgeous and the UI looks super crisp. Sony's reluctance to pull this out of its casing seems to show the player's not ready for primetime, but we'll keep trying to get something a bit more gratifying.Update: Engadget Spanish got a video of the device in action, so check after the jump if you wanna see more and learn a little español. %Gallery-41517%
Sony Ericsson's W715 Walkman is all -- and only -- about Vodafone
Sony Ericsson and Vodafone's W715 Walkman arrived a bit late to the CES party, but we're always happy to talk about a new Sony Ericsson set. The W715 looks to be the twin of the previously announced W705, but with a color change, and a bit of frequency shuffling. Lifting up the hood we see that this new and exclusive to Vodafone slider boasts a 3.2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, aGPS, WiFi, DLNA certified, 120MB memory, quad-band GSM, and 900 / 2100 HSDPA. Shipping seems set for Q1 2009 and we expect we'll hear something on pricing real soon now.
Sony Ericsson W508 Walkman hands-on
Also on-hand -- and in -- tonight was Sony Ericsson's newest Walkman set, the W508. This clamshell, which is a bit of a departure for Walkman devices, features quad-band GSM and single-band HSDPA, and a W508a variant that has quad-band GSM and triple-band HSDPA for our shores. Other notables include a 3.2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, video calling, and Exchange Activesync for some enterprise mail access. The W508 is shipping in both Metal Grey and Poetic White with 4 sets of Style-up covers per color choice some time in Q2 2009. The handset itself is a pretty standard flip, the keys are definitely not our favorite, but the screen is pure glory, job well done SE.%Gallery-41025%
Sony touchscreen Walkman NWZ-X1000 OLED player hands-on!
Sony's press event is just about to start, but we managed to sneak away and grab some snaps of the heavily-guarded new OLED touchscreen Walkman NWZ-X1000. It's under some major glass and lights and we were working fast, so we apologize for any blurriness, but that's the price of exclusives, kids. Check back soon for the official shots during the presser -- and don't worry, we're on the hunt for the VAIO P.%Gallery-40911%
Sony unveils Walkman NWZ-X1000 OLED touchscreen player
Just as rumored, Sony's indeed showing up at this year's CES with a touchscreen Walkman, the NWZ-X1000. Front and center is a beautiful 3-inch touchscreen OLED display, which means lower power consumption and a wider color gamut than a traditional LCD, and Sony also worked in WiFi and headphone-independent noise cancellation. The player will come in 16GB and 32GB flavors. Details are otherwise scant at this moment -- we're particularly interested in the software specific and price, which we're guessing Sony will be announcing at its press conference this evening -- but let's just say that faux granite shell is a definite mark in the "please, yes" category.[Via OLED-Display]
Sony hearts its new wraparound Walkman W-series
Sony is expected to unveil this new wearable Walkman here at CES according to SonyInsider. The W-series device is said to feature 2GB of memory with a price in the range of $50 to $75. Magnetic connectors keep the 13.5mm EX earphones with built-in MP3, AAC, DRM'd WMA and PCM player tidy and heart-shaped when not in use. The Walkman charges to 90 minutes playback after just 3 minutes on the mains -- 30 minutes will give you 12 hours. Sounds good, but we'll have to check these out in person to measure the dork-factor.
Sony's long awaited touchscreen Walkman finally revealed?
Sony's Walkman series of media players has done its best to keep stride, stuffing in new features and design refinements over the years, but touchscreen-dominated players are clearly in vogue, and it looks like the company is finally ready to break down and get touchable. According to the Sony stalkers over at Sony Insider, there will be 16 and 32GB touchscreen Walkman players at CES 2009 this coming January. The literal and figurative centerpiece is to be a 3-inch OLED display (possibly that 3.3-inch panel making the rounds, or something more Sony specific), running a touch interface with many similarities to the current Walkman players. Also slated for inclusion is WiFi, enabling a YouTube app, over the air podcast downloads, built-in access to Amazon's MP3 store and an unspecified web browser. The shots of the player above are obviously mockups, and the real hardware is supposed to have physical music control buttons -- and hopefully hold to some sort of reality-based conception of scale. All this info is exclusive to the Sony Insider ninjas, so we can't vouch for its veracity, but it's an obvious and welcome move from Sony, so we won't look a gift rumor in the mouth.
Sony Ericsson's Walkman Xmini for Japan is awesome, but not for the usual reasons
In most parts of the world, the cute little device you're looking at here would pass as a perfectly acceptable Walkman. In Japan, though, it's more than just a Walkman -- it's a Walkman phone, people. The Sony Ericsson Xmini has been added to KDDI au's CDMA-based lineup, measuring just 75 x 44 x 18mm and tossing aside the usual barrage of 8-megapixel cameras and wide VGA displays for a mere 320 x 240 screen and 4GB of on-board memory. When closed, its colorful chin reveals music controls; opened, the whole thing morphs into a tiny handset -- and a refreshing change of pace from the giant clamshells those poor souls on KDDI are usually subject to, may we add.[Thanks, Desaine]
Sony Ericsson's W595 toyed with on video
Looking for a bit of video on Sony Ericsson's W595, are you? If so, you've come to the right place, as Megawhat has hosted up a hands-on clip toying with the fanciful slider. Far and away the reviewer's favorite feature is the easy upload to YouTube once the handset logs a video clip, and admittedly, it does seem to work well. Hit the read link for 3 minutes (and 3 seconds) in SE heaven.
Sony Ericsson's W705 Walkman and MBS-900 Bluetooth speaker slide onto the scene
Hey, hey, just as expected out pops Sony Ericsson's latest Walkman from the rumor mill. The quad-band W705 (aka RIKA, the G705 clone) with UMTS/HSPA 900/2100 support shares the same Clear Bass / Clear Stereo audio quality found in the W980 Walkman while packing DLNA-certified WiFi, shake control and SensMe music manipulation, a "large" (uh, hardly by today's standards) 2.4-inch display, 4GB of bundled memory card storage, an FM radio, 3.2 megapixel camera, Google Maps, and an accelerometer for what's quickly becoming a ubiquitous auto-rotating display feature on cellphones. It also packs Bluetooth, allowing it to stream audio out to the newly announced MBS-900 Bluetooth speaker. You know, if you're a fan of compressed audio and short battery life. Just sayin's all. Both will be available in select markets as of Q1 of the new year.
Sony Ericsson event rumored for tomorrow, W705 images emerge
Oh, goodie! SEMCBlog has it that Sony Ericsson is priming a fall announcement for tomorrow, the 6th of November. Certainly enough, it was this day last year when SE introduced a trio of new handsets, so we'd say the timing sounds just about perfect. Curious as to what's coming? A little birdie has dropped off signs that a W705 (pictured) will be the star of the show, with a Orange-exclusive W705u and a mysterious MBS-900 accessory tagging along. As for February-bound W705 slider, we're told it'll boast a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, 3.2-megapixel camera, 120MB of internal memory, a 4GB M2 card (included), Walkman 3.0 UI, Shake control and two motifs to choose from (Luxury Silver and Passionate Red). All's that needed now is a dash of official and a pinch of expected pricing.[Via Engadget Spanish]Read - November 6th eventRead - W705 pictures
Sony Ericsson apparently revives W595s at the last moment, directs it to Orange
You can never be too sure about these things, but unless our eyes are deceiving us badly, Sony Ericsson has performed a successful round of CPR on its once-thought-to-be-canned W595s. The music-lovin' handset will reportedly be available exclusively on Orange and come initially in Dusty Blue. We're told that it boasts a 3.2-megapixel camera, front-panel music control buttons, built-in FM tuner, Bluetooth, an M2 memory card slot and an availability date of "now" in Romania. Keep an eye out at your local Orange store to see if this really is being exhumed en masse -- just make sure to dust off the soil before using it.[Via SEMC Blog]
Sony Ericsson's W760a 3G Walkman now available on AT&T
It's been a long time coming (isn't it always with Sony Ericsson and AT&T?), but the January-announced W760 Walkman slider is finally hitting the US on contract. Announced today, the shakeable W760a will be available in AT&T locations, bringing with it 3G support, a 3.2-megapixel camera, AT&T Navigator and "full HTML web browsing." In case you haven't seen already, it'll be available in red, black and silver motifs, with the latter hue being exclusive to RadioShack for a limited time. Check it as early as today for $129.99 (with a 2-year agreement) after mail-in rebate.
Leak Sauce: is this Sony Ericssons's RIKA?
The folks at USEB (Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog) popped this pic out of what they're calling the "Rika", a G705 clone that Sony Ericsson's apparently set to announce next month. Sadly, what you see is what you get on this one folks, we do know, however, that it's decidedly lovely, silver, and Walkman-branded. Also worth noting is the forward-facing cam, so we'll at least be treated to some 3G, and hopefully some inner bigness in the memory department for the tunes your Walkman should sport. Know that we'll be all over this as soon as we hear more, so just sit tight, OK?
Sony launches "Designed for Walkman" program -- accessory manufacturers point, laugh
Sony Corp just announced its new "Designed for Walkman" accessory program in a bid to boost third-party accessory development. Under the terms, any vendor that signs up gets full access to the specs for Sony's proprietary WM-PORT terminal... about 3.5 years too late. In return, licensees can prominently display this fancy, "Designed for Walkman" logo on their packaging and products as they grab for a slice of the meager accessory revenues made possible by the 4th place MP3 manufacturer owning just 2% market share. Hot Sony, hot.
Hands-on Sony Walkman NWZ-S639F: yet another non-video Walkman
We don't know enough adjectives to really explain to you how Sony's latest Walkman sounds (will "good" suffice?). Nor can we show you in video. We can tell you that it's small, really small, with a crisp, clean display and UI familiar to you A820-series lovers. Even better, we can drop in a gallery of Sony's top of the line, 16GB, NWZ-S639F nuzzled up close to the NWZ-A828 as proof of its tinytude. As good as this player is, it's still just another dedicated Walkman player with an itty bitty, 2-inch display. We're so over dedicated DAPs Howard, isn't it time you produced a full-screen Video Walkman?%Gallery-30680%
Sony intros S-, E-, and B-Series Walkmans
Remember those new Walkmans we saw recently? Well the folks at Sony have decided to get all fancy and official with them. The electronics-maker is introducing S-, E-, and B-Series PMPs, all featuring MP3 and WMA playback, drag-and-drop file management, and a variety of storage capacities. The 4GB NWZ-S736F and 8GB NWZ-S738F sport Sony's "Open Platform" which allows AAC, Linear PCM, and other codec support, 40 hours of battery life, in-flight noise cancellation, and SensMe -- which creates song shuffles based on user listening habits. The 4GB NWZ-E436F and 8GB NWZ-E438F come in a handful of colors and deliver up to 45 hours of playback, while the low-end 1GB NWZ-B133F and 2GB NWZ-B135F add an FM tuner and voice recording functionality. The players will be available come September, ranging in price from around $45 to $180.
New Sony Walkmans surface at IFA booth
Sony's IFA press event isn't for another couple of hours, but we managed to sneak these shots of Sony's minor refresh to its Walkman lineup. Everything is looking nice and sleek, and the screens on the S-series players we saw that were on looked sharp and bright, but we're still waiting to see the fruit of Stringer's talk last year about not suffering at the hands of Apple as badly in portable video as they did with portable audio -- these Walkmans just aren't doing it. Stand by for official news as we get it.%Gallery-30639%
