Sony unveiled an interesting gem tonight at CES 2012, as it introduced the Android 2.3-powered Walkman Z1000 series Mobile Entertainment Player to go against the iPod touch and the Galaxy Player.
For what is primarily a music player, Sony wanted to make sure this thing has a great music experience. In terms of audio quality, the Walkman Z1000 boasts a “S-Master MX” digital amplifier to reduce unwanted noise and distortion. In terms of usability, there’s a dedicated W button on board. Tapping it instantly launches the music app from wherever you are.
In today’s world, phones are never just phones and music players are never just music players anymore. That’s why the Z1000 runs Android Gingerbread, rocks a 4.3-inch multitouch display, has built-in WiFi to the full library of apps in the Android Market.
Sure, there are apps for music in the Market but Sony really wants you to use its cloud music service with millions of songs from Sony Entertainment Network and can transfer with iTunes or Windows Media Player. If the 4.3-inch display just isn’t cutting it for you, beam the contents of the display to your television (if it’s DLNA-enabled) or hook it up via wired HDMI.
This all sounds pretty nice, but the Walkman Z1000 won’t go easy on your wallet. The starting price is $249.99 for an 8GB model — $50 more than Apple’s entry-level iPod touch. You save some green the more you move up the line: the 16GB model is $279.99 and the 32GB model is $329.99. These devices will all be available this spring.