Sony Ericsson Intros Entry-level W205 Walkman Phone

Get the most out of your best music and favorite radio channels with new W205 Walkman mobile phone music player. With FM radio and TrackID music recognition, this is a nice entry-level headset for someone who wishes to listen to music on the go. The slider mobile phone comes with a complete package of entertainment features and the power to set up playlists to ensure you have the right music no matter the occasion. You can even record a sample of a song from the radio to use as your new ringtone.

Other features include a 1.3 megapixel camera (with 2.2x digital zoom and video recording), Bluetooth, and multiple phone books – keep your contacts in order if someone needs to borrow your phone. The main screen is an 1.8 inch 65,536 colour TFT at a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels. Phone memory is mostly limited at 5MB, but
memory card support includes Memory Stick Micro (M2) up to 2GB.

Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 9 hrs; Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs; Music listening time: Up to 13hrs 30 min. The W205 Walkman supports GSM/GPRS/900/1800 and W205a supports GSM/GPRS 850/1900. W205 Walkman will be available in selected markets from Q3 in the color Ambient Black.

Sony is also showing off a MS410 Snap-on Speaker Stand which offers compact convenience and an integrated FM radio antenna. The MS410 has an unique sliding mechanism to fit all Walkman phones. The MS410 Snap-on Speaker Stand will be available in selected markets from Q2 2009.

NWZ-S730 Series Firmware Update 1.11 Arrives

Sony has updated the firmware of the NWZ-S730 series to version 1.11 and resolves an issue where, while playing any music files, the player may stop responding and then may automatically power off and on. This firmware update is only for use with the products identified and sold in the United States, Latin America, Canada, or Brazil – we cannot verify if it will work for other countries. Read more at Sony eSupport.

Forum user Zizone has reported that the download location at the eSupport page is NOT working. Download the NWZ-S730 firmware 1.11 update here.

Thanks, Zizone!

This firmware update is intended only for NWZ-S736F and NWZ-S738F Sony Walkman Digital Music players that have firmware version 1.10 or lower installed. Please follow the steps below to check the model and firmware version of your player.

1. Press and hold the “BACK/HOME” button until the “Home” menu appears.
2. At the “Home” menu, use the arrow buttons () to select “Settings” (), and then press the “Play/Pause” button ().
3. At the “Settings” menu, use the arrow buttons to select “Common Settings”, and then press the “Play/Pause” button.
4. At the “Common Settings” menu, use the arrow buttons to select “Unit Information”, and then press the “Play/Pause” button.
5. Confirm that the model is NWZ-S736F or NWZ-S738F and that the firmware version is 1.10 or lower.

If the firmware version is 1.11 or higher do not attempt to install this update. It is strongly recommended that you transfer all tracks and data from the player to the computer before performing this update. Tracks and data that remain on the player may be damaged or deleted during the update process. In order to install this update, there must be at least 30 MB free space on the player.

NWZ-X1050/1060 Touchscreen Walkman Lost Footage

Here’s some other footage of the NWZ-X1050/NWZ-X1060 touchscreen Walkman that I shot at Sony’s exhibit during CES 2009 that didn’t make it in our introduction post. I know that some of you out there will find this interesting, I think? Hopefully we can get a review X-Series unit soon – I am dying to try this thing out. Hey Sony, how about you make up for the whole under the glass thing by sending me one early?

Sony Launches New S Series Walkman

Amongst the raft of announcements from Sony this morning at IFA Berlin, came the launch of the new Premium S Series Walkman. The new S series comes with two main variants – the NWZ-630F (shown above and available in 4 different colors) and the NWZ-730F available only in black but with the added benefit of built-in noise cancellation. The exact models and capacities will be as follows:

NWZ-739F – 16GB
NWZ-738F – 8GB
NWZ-639F – 16GB
NWZ-638F – 8GB

New features that are common to all models are Sony’s new SensMe ™ technology which allow users to create playlists based on their mood or the moment. Sony says:

The WALKMAN® S series is the first ever MP3 player that matches your listening to your mood or the moment. Based on Sony’s “12 Tone Analysis” technology and “LCMIR (Low-Complexity Music Information Retrieval)” technology, unique SensMe™ Channels analyse your music collection, suggesting playlists based on each song’s speed, mood and rhythm. There’s no need to spend hours tagging and sorting every track in your music collection. SensMe™ Channels do the hard work, creating a choice of 11 themed ‘channels’, from upbeat pop to emotional ballads.

Codec support includes MP3, AAC, WMA (including tracks with DRM), AVC & MPEG-4 for Video and JPEG for photos. All of these models are drag and drop and feature the usual Dynamic Normalizer, Clear Bass and equalizer options. What is more, being “F” models they also FM radios. The high contrast QVGA screen means videos should be clearer than ever with playback at 30fps.

Finally these are the slimmest Network Walkman offerings to date from Sony, checking in at just 7.5mm thickness. Overall these units get the thumbs-up from Sony Insider.

Pricing at this stage is still TBC for Europe but SonyStyle US has the S736 and S738 listed at $149.99 and $179.99 respectively.

Check out more details on the S series here.

Sony Confirms Release of E & B Series Walkmans

Together with the announcement of the new S series Walkman, Sony also confirmed the release and additional specs of the other two Walkman Series previously reported here at Sony Insider. These are the E series video Walkman (shown above) and the B series USB Walkman. The E series will come in 4GB or 8GB versions and comes with an FM tuner and photo viewer and is aimed at the mid-range market. It can be purchased in four different colors.

The B series is an entry level USB Walkman that again comes in four colorful versions, and features an FM tuner on the B133F and B135F. Capacity-wise there are only two options – 1GB or 2GB.

Full details on the B series can be found here and full details on the E series can be found here. Also check out the Sony press release for full details on all the models announced today.

Here’s a reminder of what the B series looks like.

NWZ-E435, NWZ-E436, NWZ-E438 Appears On Sony’s New Zealand Website

Listen my children, and you shall hear of the midnight release of Sony’s new NW-E first announced here. Sony has released information on the latest in the E series, the NWZ-E435 (2GB), NWZ-E436 (4GB), and NWZ-E438 (8GB). Each device has a 2.0 inch QVGA TFT LCD screen that is capable of displaying 262,144 colors. These will be as slim as possible at 8.5mm and will only weigh 50g. A FM tuner is included, and codec support is the usual MP3 / WMA / AAC / Linear PCM. Battery life is rated 1150 songs/76h 40m (48kbps), 885 songs/59h (64kbps), 440 songs/29h 20m (128kbps), 220 songs/14h 40m (256kbps), 175 songs/11h 40m (320kbps) for music. Battery life for video is rated at 7h 10m at 384kbps video, 4h at 768kbps video. Transferring music is easy as each device is drag and drop and compatible with Windows Media Player and even iTunes.

These devices should be slipping out to international channels over the next month or two, but pricing is not immediately known. Pricing should be similar to existing models of the same capacity and priced competitively. The 2GB NWZ-E435 will be available in black or pink; the 4GB NWZ-E436 will be available in black, blue, pink or red; the 8GB NWZ-E438 will be available in black. No word yet if color variations will be limited to certain regions. This information is a Sony Insider exclusive, brought to you here first.

p.s. We’ve seen some specs of the rest of the Sony MP3 lineup that is coming and it is very exciting. More details soon. Don’t be too critical of the E-series, they are more for the budget conscious.

A big thanks to bob123 at our forums for pointing this out. Scroll down on this page to see the entire NW-E range with their seperate color configurations.

2GB + 1GB NWD-E020 Series Released

Sony Gulf has launched the Walkman NWD-E020 series, the latest eye-candy additions to the Walkman family. This device looks to be an exclusive for the Middle East and Pacific regions – for now. With an emphasis on fashion, the compact NWD-E020 range features replaceable Style-Up panels that allow users to change the colour of their Walkman to suit their wardrobe or mood. Combining form with function, the new Walkman range can store up to an impressive 1,350 songs or 90 hours of music. The new range features two models – the NWD-E025F (2GB) and the NWD-E023F (1GB). This model may have Bluetooth as well, but we aren’t able to confirm this due to conflicting reports.

“Our customers always look for a fashionable design that keeps pace with the ever-changing world. With its interchangeable Style-Up panels, the NWD-E023F and NWD-E025F are the perfect MP3 players to make them look stylish and trendy,” said Mr. Daisuke Morii, Head of the Personal Audio Division, Sony Gulf. “The direct USB outlet also enables the user to plug the Walkman into related audio devices and is ideal for consumers with a busy lifestyle.”

Both the models come supplied with Style-Up panels available in five eye-catching colour sets: Pure White and Precious Gold; Luxury Pink and Jewel Pink; Ocean Blue and Forest Green; and Urban Black and Shiny Silver; as well as Blazing Red and Indigo Blue. In addition, users can choose from six optional Style-Up panels to complement their varied lifestyles.

The new series combines innovative features such as Quick Charge and Clear Audio technology to ensure that this Walkman is big on sound and engineered to suit today’s mobile lifestyles. It takes just three minutes to charge the player for three hours worth of playback, while a full one-hour charge enables the unit to deliver up to 28 hours of continuous playback*. With two of Sony’s Clear-Audio technologies, Clear Bass and Clear Stereo, the NWD-E020 series promises high-quality stereo sound with no signal leakage from left or right channels and true bass reproduction without distortion.

To complete the mobile music experience, the new series makes it easy and quick to keep up with the latest tunes. Designed with a simple drag-and-drop interface and direct USB outlet, Walkman players allow for easy notebook or desktop connection sans cables as well as quick and simple transfer of songs. By simply plugging the Walkman into a PC, the built-in Auto-Transfer software starts searching for music files* on the computer and replicating these songs on the Walkman.

Similar to its NWD-E010F predecessors, this new Walkman® range is equipped with an FM tuner and 3-line colour LCD display, letting the user enjoy the best of both music worlds and convenient song navigation. Walkman® players also support MP3 open-audio formats, nonsecure Windows Media Audio (WMA), non-secure AAC, and Linear-PCM, enhancing file compatibility.

* Playback times are approximate and apply to when Power Save Mode is set to “Save ON Super”, and Sound Clear Stereo and Dynamic Normalizer are deactivated.

Information courtesy of Sony Gulf and Sony Singapore. Further specs here.

NWZ-B130F Walkman Announced

Sony is set to release an update to its popular mini MP3 player, the B series, in September. The 3-line LCD NWZ-B130F will feature a very small yet durable form factor and be available in either one (in black or red) or two (black, red, pink, blue) gigabyte configurations. It plays MP3 and WMA (no ATRAC capability). Usual specs include the rapid recharge (3 minutes charge for 90 minutes playback), bass boost, PlayForSure compatibility, full “Drag and Drop” music management and FM tuner. Interestingly enough this device can do voice and FM recording, too.

This device recieves a thumbs-up from Sony Insider as its price point will be below the iPod Shuffle in most markets and it can plug straight into any audio device that has a USB port for playback and recording capabilities (can record in either 96/128/192kbps MP3). The full drag and drop functionality is great; who wants to use complicated music management software when your using a small capacity player? No thanks.