Editing Walkman (section)

==Discman, MiniDisc, and digital Walkman==
{{See also|Discman}}[[File:WikiGrenier - Lecteur Sony Mini Disc 03.jpg|thumb|An MD ([[MiniDisc]]) Walkman player]]
After the success of the cassette Walkman, Sony extended the brand name to other portable non-cassette audio products: for example in 1990, Sony released [[Digital Audio Tape]] (DAT) players marketed as ''DAT Walkman'',<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/design/|title=Sony Design|website=Sony Design|date=15 March 2022 }}</ref> then in 1992 it launched the ''MD Walkman'' brand for portable [[MiniDisc]] players. Earlier, Sony also marketed the [[Discman]] line of portable compact disc (CD) players which started to rebrand as ''CD Walkman'' in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/199907/99-059/|title=Sony Global – Press Release – Sony Celebrates Walkman(R) 20th Anniversary|website=www.sony.com}}</ref> Sony also used the name on other products, such as in 1989 when Sony released portable [[Video8]] recorders marketed as ''Video Walkman''.
[[File:Sony CD Walkman D-EJ985 rear.jpg|thumb|A Walkman [[portable CD player]] released in 2002, bearing the unified Walkman brand]]
With the decreasing relevance of cassette tapes, Sony unified the entire Walkman range of products into a single ''Walkman'' name and branding in the summer of 2000, and a new small ''W.'' icon was designed as part of the logo which remains in use to this day.<ref name="auto" />

From 2012, Walkman was also the name of the music player software on [[Sony Xperia]]. It has since been rebranded to [[Music (Xperia)|Music]].

===Digital players (1999–present)===
On December 21, 1999, Sony launched its first ever [[digital audio player]]s (DAP) under the name ''Network Walkman'' (the [[VAIO]] division also released a DAP at the same time). The first Walkman DAP used [[Memory Stick]] as its storage medium to store audio files in [[flash memory]]. It was branded as ''MS Walkman'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mobile-review.com/mp3/articles/sony-nw.shtml|title=Mobile-review.com История Sony Network Walkman|website=mobile-review.com}}</ref> shortly before the Walkman brand unification.<ref name="auto" /> Most future digital Walkman models would instead use built-in solid-state flash memory, although [[hard disk]] based players were also made from 2004 to 2007.<ref name="hist" />  Since 2005, all Walkman DAPs have been marketed as simply ''Walkman'' and thereby dropping the ''Network'' prefix that was previously used for this range.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 September 2005 |title=Sony relaunches Walkman to challenge iPod |url=https://www.theregister.com/2005/09/08/sony_walkman/ |website=The Register}}</ref>
[[File:Sony Walkman NWZ-E463 Player.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Walkman [[Walkman E Series|NWZ-E460]] digital audio player, released in 2011]]
In its early years, the Walkmans came with [[OpenMG]] copyright protection and, until 2004, exclusively supported Sony's in-house [[ATRAC]] format; there was no support for industry-standard [[MP3]] as Sony wanted to protect its records division, [[Sony BMG]], from [[Copyright infringement|piracy]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Actor-Network Theory and Technology Innovation: Advancements and New Concepts|author=Arthur Tatnall|year=2010|publisher=IGI Global|page=170}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/musique-numerique-sony-n-est-plus-allergique-au-mp3-39171590.htm | title=Musique numérique: Sony n'est plus allergique au MP3 | date=14 September 2004 }}</ref> Additionally, Walkman-branded mobile phones were also made by the [[Sony Ericsson]] joint venture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newatlas.com/sony-ericsson-w800-the-first-walkman-phone-raises-the-bar-for-mobile-entertainment/3781/|title=Sony Ericsson W800 – the first Walkman phone raises the bar for mobile entertainment|date=March 2, 2005|website=New Atlas}}</ref>

Sony could not repeat the success of the cassette player in the 21st-century digital audio player (DAP) market. Rival [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[iPod]] range became a large success in the market,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/business/worldbusiness/how-the-ipod-ran-circles-around-the-walkman.html|title=How the iPod Ran Circles Around the Walkman|first=Randall|last=Stross|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 13, 2005}}</ref> hindering Walkman sales internationally,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/15/technology/sony-says-its-an-ipod-killer-not-just-another-walkman.html|title=Sony Says It's an IPod Killer, Not Just Another Walkman|first=Martin|last=Fackler|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 15, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/sony-takes-bite-out-of-apple-s-iPod-in-japan/story-S0ldd3TmcnGyTz1Cu0b6EM.html|title=Sony takes bite out of Apple's iPod in Japan|date=July 15, 2005|website=Hindustan Times}}</ref> though it fared better domestically.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://9to5mac.com/2009/09/03/sony-walkman-briefly-outsells-apple-ipod-in-japan/|title=Sony Walkman briefly outsells Apple iPod in Japan|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=September 3, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/02/sony-walkman-sales-surpass-ipod-sales-in-japan/|title=Sony Walkman Sales Surpass iPod Sales In Japan|date=2 September 2010}}</ref> The Network Walkman for several years had paltry market share and had also been struggling against numerous other rivals such as [[Creative Labs|Creative]], [[Rio (digital audio players)|Rio]], [[Mpio]] and [[iRiver]], although sales and share did eventually increase fivefold in 2005 and continued improving, but remained small.<ref name="hist">{{cite web |url=https://mobile-review.com/mp3/articles/sony-nw.shtml |title=История Sony Network Walkman |last=Dorozhin |first=Alexey |date=16 March 2007 |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=ru |trans-title=History of the Sony Network Walkman}}</ref> Its pricing policy, [[SonicStage]] software and lack of [[MP3]] support in earlier years have been suggested factors of its performance.<ref name="hist" /> Its U.S. market share in 2006 was 1.9%, placing it behind Apple, [[SanDisk]], Creative and [[Samsung]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://macdailynews.com/2006/08/17/npd_apple_retains_huge_lead_with_756_share_of_us_music_player_market/|title=NPD: Apple retains huge lead with 75.6% share of U.S. Music player market|date=17 August 2006}}</ref> In Japan its share in 2009–2010 was between 43 and 48%, ahead of Apple for the first time.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2009/09/walkman-outsells-ipod-in-japan/|title = Walkman Outsells iPod in Japan|magazine = Wired|last1 = Sorrel|first1 = Charlie}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hothardware.com/news/sonys-walkman-outsells-ipod-in-japan-for-first-time|title = Sony's Walkman Outsells iPod in Japan for First Time|date = 5 September 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Sony Walkman NWZ-B135F P.jpg|left|thumb|Sony Walkman NWZ-B135F thumb style digital audio player]]
Meanwhile, [[Sony Computer Entertainment]], a Sony division who are not involved in Walkman products, officially described their [[PlayStation Portable]] (PSP) in 2004 as the "21st century Walkman".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/21st-century-walkman-drags-feet-on-way-to-debut/|title='21st century Walkman' drags feet on way to debut|first=David|last=Becker|website=CNET|accessdate=18 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-psp-details-revealed/1100-6072659/|title = Sony PSP details revealed}}</ref> While the PSP was a [[handheld game console]] first, it was also seen as a modern day portable multimedia and entertainment system akin to the original Walkman.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Extension |first=Time |date=2024-12-12 |title=It's Time to Celebrate the PSP, Sony's 21st Century Walkman |url=https://www.timeextension.com/features/its-time-to-celebrate-the-psp-sonys-21st-century-walkman |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Time Extension |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Over the years, newer models of the digital Walkman included various new features. The first ever digital Walkman with a color display was the NW-A800 Series released in 2007 and it also provided, for the first time, [[Video|video playback]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Discuss |first=Jimmy 2004 |date=2007-03-03 |title=Sony Going Head-to-Head with iPod Video |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/26602/sony-going-head-to-head-with-ipod-video |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=TechPowerUp |language=en}}</ref> The following year came the first with [[Bluetooth]] connectivity,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=History of the Sony Walkman |url=https://www.crutchfield.com/S-4EJRtl9Socj/learn/sony-walkman-history.html |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Crutchfield |language=en}}</ref> and in 2009 the first [[touchscreen]] Walkman, the [[Walkman X series|X1000]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chow |first=Elaine |date=2009-01-08 |title=Sony Walkman X-Series Is Surfable, Touchable and Shuts Up the World Around You |url=https://gizmodo.com/sony-walkman-x-series-is-surfable-touchable-and-shuts-5125117 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-US}}</ref> Beginning in late 2006 and lasting until 2019, most new Walkman players had a proprietary [[Dock connector|WM-PORT]] terminal which was used not only for charging and syncing but also for connecting to compatible docks.<ref>https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00030299</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Admin |title=Sony releases new NW-A100 Walkman |url=https://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/sony-releases-new-nw-a100-walkman.html |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=The Walkman Blog}}</ref> Other notable features of many Walkman players include the [[SensMe]] playlist technology, Karaoke Mode,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-16 |title=Sony Walkman NWZ-E450 does karaoke, we go hands-on (video) |url=https://www.engadget.com/2010-07-16-sony-walkman-nwz-e450-does-karaoke-we-go-hands-on-video.html?_fsig=bL99tbUaYFR1OOekyAGCmg--~A |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Virtual Studio Technology]] (VST), and various proprietary sound enhancement technologies such as [[DSEE]] and ClearAudio. Players compatible with [[high-resolution audio]] have been released since 2013.<ref name=":3" />
[[File:Sony Walkman NW-A105.png|thumb|A newer A Series Walkman (NW-A105) running Android]]
With the shrinking market for purpose-made portable media players during the 2010s, Sony streamlined its Walkman line, marketing a narrower range of products and with an increased emphasis on high-end [[Audiophiles|audiophilic]] players. This began with the launch of the [[Walkman ZX Series|ZX Series]] Walkman in 2013<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Jeremy |date=2015-01-06 |title=Sony Introduces $1,200 Luxury Walkman |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/57965-sony-introduces-1200-luxury-walkman/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> and culminated in the luxurious WM1 Series first released in 2016, which is gold plated and retailed for several thousand US dollars.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heater |first=Brian |date=2016-09-02 |title=You probably don’t need a $3,200 gold-plated Walkman |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/02/sony-walkman/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref> However outside the high-end space, and the mid-range [[Walkman A Series|A Series]] Walkman, as of 2025, Sony continue to market simple budget-oriented DAPs in the form of the [[Walkman E Series|E Series]] (NW-E390) and the thumb-style B Series (NWZ-B180) as well as the waterproof, sports-oriented WS Series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony WS620 Waterproof Sports Walkman unveiled for the outdoor enthusiast {{!}} Android Community |url=https://androidcommunity.com/sony-ws620-waterproof-sports-walkman-unveiled-for-the-outdoor-enthusiast-20170427/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=androidcommunity.com}}</ref>