Sony Is Bringing the Walkman Back for Its 40th Anniversary

For many, the Walkman is a staple of music history, as it provided one of the earliest and ways to take your music on the go. Forty years after the device originally hit the market, Sony is officially bringing it back -- albeit with some significant changes. At Germany's consumer electronics trade show IFA 2019 (via CNN), Sony announced two new models of the Walkman, which will function as essentially glorified MP3 players.

The first model is the Sony NW-A100TPS, which is adorned with a 40th-anniversary logo, a cassette tape interface, and a special case and packaging that harken back to the original Walkman. The second model will be called the Sony NW-A105, a slightly cheaper model which does not include any of the anniversary branding.

Both models of the rebooted Walkman will be powered by Android and will feature a ton of brand-new features. These include an S-Master HX digital amplifier, which will help deliver high-resolution audio and reduce distortion, a DSEE HX processor to upscale compressed audio, and even a vinyl processor to make your digital music sound more retro. Both models also boast a USB-C port, Bluetooth capabilities, and up to 26 hours of battery life.

According to Gizmodo, these rebooted versions of the Walkman are expected to go on sale for $599 in Australia and €440/£400 in Europe later this year. There are no details on a stateside release, but those who are interested should be prepared to spend somewhere between $400 and $500. But hey, the new model will easily take your Stranger Things or Guardians of the Galaxy cosplays to a whole new level.

Would you buy this rebooted Walkman? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!