Sony Announce 40th Anniversary ‘Walkman’ Release

There are few products more iconic for Sony than their ‘Walkman‘. Released in 1979, the cassette player (if you don’t know what a cassette is, ask your parents) revolutionized music by offering people a portable means of listening to music without the need of carrying a huge ‘boombox’ (again, if you don’t know ask your parents) on your shoulder.

To celebrate the products 40th Birthday, however, Sony has announced plans to release an anniversary edition. One that has, however, been dragged into the 21st century.

Sony Announce 40th Anniversary Walkman

Although the design will take inspiration from the original release we can confirm (and possibly disappoint you) that it will not work with cassette tapes. In a report via TechSpot, it will instead be an MP3 player with a 16GB capacity. In addition, however, it will also utilize wifi to allow for a connection to be made to your music streaming service of choice.

With a touch screen and 26-hour battery life, it does sound a pretty cool retro option for your music. There is, however, something of a significant catch. Namely, the pricetag.

How Much Does It Cost?

Expected to release in November (as likely touting itself as a Christmas stocking filler) the main crux of this product is the price. I was genuinely tempted into getting one of these until I learned they will retail for around £400!

For the technology offered here, this is amazingly expensive! You can buy a brand new smartphone for less than that and get far more functionality beyond just listening to music!

For around £50-£80, this could’ve been a huge success. Instead, Sony has celebrated the Walkmans 40th anniversary by releasing a product that no one (except the certifiable) will end up buying!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!