Who needs iTunes? Sony's Walkman is coming back!
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Move over, iPhone, A classic is coming back.
Digital-media giant Sony is reviving "The Walkman" the handheld device that made waves as one of the first portable music players in the 1980s and 1990s playing cassette tapes. This 40th-anniversary special edition comes with a modern twist.
At IFA 2019, an annual technology conference held in Berlin, the company announced the launch of two new devices: the NW-A100TPS and the lower-end NW-A105, both limited-edition Walkmans inspired by the original model.
The price: 440 euros. (There is currently no U.S. release date for the Walkmans but they will be available in Europe in December. The price point translates to about $489.)
“You can enjoy the best of both worlds with the heritage design of Walkman whilst having cutting edge technology at your fingertips,” Sony said in a press release. “You can also enjoy a cassette tape user interface that takes inspiration from classic Walkman models.”
Each model will run with an Android operating system and have 26 hours of battery life. For audio, they’re equipped with an S-Master HX digital amplifier, a DSEE HX processor and a vinyl processor. That’s along with Bluetooth features, a USB-C charging port, 16GB storage capacity that can be expanded with a microSD card and a 3.6” touch panel.
The NW-A100TPS will also sport a 40th-anniversary logo, a special case and packaging similar to the original Walkman. It comes in a variety of colors: ash green, black, blue, orange and red.
Both devices support downloaded and streaming music.
This revival comes as a number of companies are looking to modernize and bring back, old favorites to tap into consumers' nostalgia. Also at IFA 2019, telecommunications company, Nokia announced the relaunch of its iconic 2720 flip phone.