Our Leak Was True: Sony Releases NWZ-X1050/1060 Touchscreen Walkman

After our stunning revelation last month announcing this product, Sony at CES announced the new X-Series Walkman Video MP3 player. This device focuses on enhancing audio/video playback with hardware that enables best of breed performance and an amazing portable experience. Incorporating a wide 3-inch OLED touch screen, the display delivers a picture with extremely high contrast, exceptional color reproduction and a rapid response time. Usability is also enhanced with this model as the device utilizes both touch panel operation and a hybrid button system to improve upon the navigation experience.

Sony will release the NWZ-X1050 (16GB)/1060 (32GB) Touchscreen Walkman in Early Summer 2009 – the price for the 16GB should run about $299USD, while the 32GB will cost $399. We also noticed that a part of the Walkman is made of some sort of strange material, like a brushed aluminum. It’s hard to explain, and if you click on the pictures you can see what I mean. The booth guys had no idea what material it was, and said that Sony is tight-lipped about it.

Along with the superb video experience, the X-series Walkman Video MP3 player delivers incredible sound quality utilizing Sony’s Digital Clear Audio Technologies: Digital Amplifier ”S-Master,” Digital Noise Canceling and Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE). These digital clear audio technologies fill in the high tones that can be lost during file compression, enhance the bass, minimize distortion and maintain a consistent channel signal.

Unfortunately, Sony made a huge mistake at CES by not letting people touch the touchscreen Walkman. It was under what seemed to be bulletproof glass. How can Sony release a touch-based product and not let people touch it? This was a major error, and after repeated requests they wouldn’t let me use the device. I was very disappointed, but it was good to see that Sony released this product. It will definitely change the game, as long as Sony keeps improving it through firmware updates. Here is a video showing off some of its capabilities –

Sony’s CES 2009 Video Walkman Demonstration from Sony Insider on Vimeo.

Digital Noise-Canceling Arrives

To further enhance the listening experience, Sony’s X-series Walkman® Video MP3 players are the industry’s first to offer digital noise canceling technology. Having this feature integrated into the device allows for amazing audio fidelity via the accompanying 13.5 mm EX headphones. The video MP3 player uses a unique digital noise canceling (DNC) software engine to block out ambient noise, while providing a high-quality audio experience. The headphones deliver premium noise cancellation, along with balanced and rich sound.

Sony’s DNC software engine makes it possible for the digital noise canceling device to work most effectively on an airplane, which uses a different filter in the digital signal processor specifically tuned for this environment. Travelers can turn on the noise canceling feature and get peace and quiet even without listening to music.

Prime Connectivity

Utilizing built-in Wi-Fi technology, the X-series Walkman Video MP3 players let you access an Internet web browser and such other features as direct podcast downloads, YouTube™ streaming, and a “Related Links” function for a quick search of content via YouTube™ using the name of the song, artist or album.

Marking Sony’s first Walkman product with Wi-Fi integration, the X-series Walkman Video MP3 player is a smart device for consumers who want to stay connected at all times.

Check out this Hands On experience with Walkman X: