Sony's Walkman is back, as a 21st century Android player

The Walkman brand is one of those that cause a different reaction depending on your age. If you lived in the age of cassette tapes or music CDs, you might just associate it with the best possible sound quality.

[El culpable de que sólo escuchemos música en aleatorio cumple 18 años]

In fact, Sony never had time to drop the Walkman name, simply adapting it to what each generation demanded; and the current generation demands connection to their streaming services and compatibility with their favorite platforms, and what better than Android to offer that?

Here is the new Walkman with Android

The new NW-A306 doesn’t have the easiest name to remember, but other than that it’s clearly aimed at a new type of audience, perhaps drawn to the brand’s pedigree but so far unable to afford it. And it is that this model will only cost 400 dollars, and although this may seem like a lot, considering that this is the price of many Android smartphones, we must bear in mind that this device is exactly that.

And it is that the modern Walkman is in fact a device based on Android 12, able to run applications and access the same functionalities as a modern smartphone thanks to its 3.6-inch screen; the difference, of course, is that it’s not designed for making phone calls, although we’re sure you can.

This device is designed to partially replace our smartphone, taking care of everything related to listening to our music. And it is that inside it is very different from a classic smartphone, starting with the fact that it has a traditional 3.5 mm jack connector that has disappeared from most new cell phones . But this is only the beginning.

The NW-A306 Walkman is capable of playing high-definition music files, including lossless FLAC format music, which is basically like listening to a CD directly. But Sony knows that most people have switched to much lower quality streaming services, so they’ve implemented sound-enhancing features using artificial intelligence, Edge-AI and DSEE Ultimate; These technologies are able to “boost” compressed audio for a more dynamic and lively experience, and they do it in real time without pause or delay.

Also, aware that wired earphones are no longer fashionable, Sony has also included LDAC codec support for the best sound quality on compatible wireless headphones, plus 360-degree sound.

The Sony Walkman NW-A306 will be available in Europe for 400 dollars.