Sony Launches 40th Anniversary Walkman At IFA, But It Does Not Play Cassettes

The Sony Walkman is back. On Thursday, Sept. 5, a new version of the popular music player was released at the 2019 IFA in Berlin.

The Walkman was first released in the summer of 1979 as a portable cassette player. This year, the beloved device is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The New Sony Walkman

The anniversary edition, called NW-A100TPS, does not actually play cassette tapes like the original. It is an Android-powered device that has a storage capacity of up to 16 GB. It is also equipped with a 3.6-inch touchscreen that displays a screensaver to make it look like an old-school cassette player.

According to Sony, the screensaver changes color depending on the kind of music that the device is currently playing.

While the new Walkman does not have a slot for a SIM card, it can connect to Wi-Fi. It also has a 3.5mm audio jack but can stream music via Bluetooth. In addition, it offers USB-C charging and transferring files as well as battery life of 26 hours.

The device comes with an accompanying soft case that, according to press release, "pays homage to and is inspired by the TPS-L2 Walkman, Sony's first portable cassette player."

The NW-A100TPS is the latest attempt of the Japanese electronics manufacturer to revitalize the Walkman brand, which was at the height of its popularity during the '80s and the '90s. Sony has sold more than 200 million units of the portable cassette player over its lifetime, surpassing vinyl record sales. Experts agree that the original Sony Walkman TPS-L2 changed the way the public consumes music and paved the way for the arrival of the iPod, smartphones, and other gadgets in the market today.

Sony NW-A100TPS Walkman Release Date, Price

The music player goes on sale in November for €440/£400 (around US$485) in Europe and in December for AU$599 in Australia. As of this writing, Sony has not shared whether the device will go on sale in North America or the rest of the world.