If you’re of the sporty persuasion and wish that you could take your tunes to the pool without having a funny-looking contraption strapped to your goggles or having your earphones fall out every other stroke, Sony’s newest addition to the Walkman series will definitely be of interest.
Scheduled for a February 16 release in Japan, the new NWD-W270 series features a compact, lightweight design and boasts 4GB of onboard storage space. Plenty of delicious images and details after the break.
Waterproof headphones and MP3 players have existed for some time now, but few rival Sony’s streamlined, no-nonsense design which does away with long wires than can become tangled, and keeps all of the technological wizardry in earphones themselves, meaning that swimmers don’t have to find somewhere to clip their waterproof player.
The NWD-W273 is water resistant to a depth of two metres, so while you won’t be doing any deep-sea diving with it any time soon, you’ll have no problems powering up and down the pool with your favourite tracks blasting out. And of course, with this being Sony, there are three colours to choose from: sleek black, Hatsune Miku-style blue, and clean white.
While comparing the new Walkman with Sony’s existing W263 model, Japanese tech site AV Watch remarked how light it is, weighing in at just 29 grams and being 30% smaller than the old model. Thanks to this sleeker design, swimmers are able to glide through the water with less resistance than before, and, with a new adjustable neck-band, the unit is sure to stay firmly in place no matter how large your movements in and out of the water are.
▼The neckband will keep the unit snug and secure
The W273 is compatible with both Mac and Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8, and – especially for those who aren’t fond of iTunes – offers a very simple drag and drop UI. The Walkman connects to a computer via a standard USB cable for both charging and data transfer, with just three minutes of charging providing up to 60 minutes of playback time.
Sony also plans to launch a dedicated Walkman case alongside its new swim-friendly earphones, which will go on sale at around the 2,000 yen (US$23) mark. We don’t usually go for extras and add-ons, but we have to admit that this case looks pretty snappy and would no doubt look perfectly at home nestling among the contents of even the trendiest fitness fan’s sports bag.
Sony has not fixed an official price for the new Walkman itself, but has suggested that it go on sale for “close to 10,000 yen”, meaning that it’s probably safe to assume the unit will be available for less than US$170 when it hits stores in February. There’s not much time left to save those pennies, but with a reasonable price tag like this, it probably won’t require too many paper rounds to gather the cash.
We’ll leave you with a handful of sexy close-up images of the new Walkman so you can choose which of the three colours you like best. I’m quite partial to the black model, personally. Now all I need to do is learn how to swim…
Scource: AV Watch
Family Mart Japan installs red-eyed “Monster Wolf” to keep bears away from convenience store
Starbucks Japan reopens Shinkansen platform store after redesigning it for speed
Tokyo cops arrest foreigner for suspected visa violation, don’t know what new residence cards look like
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Family Mart Japan installs red-eyed “Monster Wolf” to keep bears away from convenience store
Starbucks Japan reopens Shinkansen platform store after redesigning it for speed
Tokyo cops arrest foreigner for suspected visa violation, don’t know what new residence cards look like
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Japanese theme park adding Immersive Death Game with a “bomb collar” you have to wear
TKG Debate: What’s the best way to eat Japan’s beloved raw egg comfort dish?
Starbucks Japan creates special drink bottle bags, adorable stickers for all 47 prefectures[Pics]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
The adorable, delicious joy of the Totoro cream puff gift box[Taste test]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
7-Eleven Japan to start selling Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches this summer
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino, tea and soda drinks for summer
“Phantom Egg Shop” opens in Japan, with a dozen rare Japanese varieties
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Japanese theme park adding Immersive Death Game with a “bomb collar” you have to wear
TKG Debate: What’s the best way to eat Japan’s beloved raw egg comfort dish?
Starbucks Japan creates special drink bottle bags, adorable stickers for all 47 prefectures[Pics]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
The adorable, delicious joy of the Totoro cream puff gift box[Taste test]
Nintendo’s Animal Crossing crosses over to Baskin-Robbins Japan with special ice cream and merch
Over a billion yen in smuggled gold found inside sex dolls by Japanese investigators
Will we eat the gyoza or our words at this all-you-can-eat dumpling challenge?
Married Japanese man must pay 4.6 million yen after faking being single and impregnating partner
Japanese merry-go-round has heartwarming backstory, is one of the best rides in Japan
Ginza Happo: One of Tokyo’s best all-you-can-eat seafood restaurants is an extreme buffet affair
Totoro Soot Sprites are here to help keep your organized as adorable paper clips[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases three new peach drinks, but the real star isn’t the Frappuccino
Nearly half of Pokémon hot spring’s statues have been damaged less than two months after opening