Sony Walkman Z-Series Debuts at CES 2012

So this was not a surprise, posted about a possible debut after the FCC filing was made back in December, plus of course the teaser from Sony Austra/Switzerland.  Checking out various Sony websites, it appears the new Z will be available soon in Europe, like Germany (32, 16GB), Poland (16GB), UK (32GB), France (16GB), Italy (32. 16GB) with Music Unlimited being available on the device in the selected countries that have the service.  Availability will be from Late February which is a step forward compared to the X-Series release a few years back.

The new Z is nice but it is no different in the end from any other Android Smart phone except for the music quality which I am sure if much better than any regular Android Smart phone.  But if I was to get anything, it would be a tablet with WiFi rather than another phone like Android device with WiFi.

The first Walkman Mobile Entertainment Player from Sony – powered by Android

• Premium in-ear sound, with S-Master MX Digital Amplifier and 5 Clear Audio technologies
• Get more from your music, with Sony-unique apps and access to Android Market
• Discover and stream millions of songs with Music Unlimited1
• Share your passion, with the xLOUDTM speaker system and ergonomic body design
• Expanded connectivity, with DLNA, HDMI and Bluetooth
• Quick response, low reflection 10.9cm (4.3″) multi-touch LCD
• Easy transfers from iTunes2 or Windows Explorer

Designed for music lovers, by music lovers: Walkman Z Series is the first-ever Walkman Mobile Entertainment Player from Sony, powered by Android.

Supreme personal audio experience

First and foremost, Walkman Z Series is about premium sound. Originally developed for Sony’s home cinema systems, the integrated S-Master MX digital amplifier technology by Sony greatly reduces noise levels and distortion, enhancing all your favourite tunes.

You’re also in for a treat with the best-ever Walkman in-ear experience, thanks to the full range of 5 Clear Audio Technologies –S-Master MX, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine), and EX headphones.

Exploring your music collection is beautifully intuitive. Touch the distinctive W.BUTTON to launch the unique W.Control app. Flick through your music collection, browse cover art or enjoy eye-catching on-screen visualizations. Walkman Z Series even sorts your music collection using SensMe™ – just pick from a choice of 14 mood-themed channels to suit the time of day or the way you feel.

Boundless discovery

You don’t need a PC to discover a new world of music experiences. With Wi-Fi built in, Walkman Z Series connects you directly with millions of songs1 and dozens of channels brought to you by Music Unlimited, the cloud-based streaming service from Sony Entertainment Network.

Walkman Z Series is also the first mobile entertainment player from Sony that’s powered by Android™. Enjoy a generous choice of preinstalled apps, and get more from the ever-growing range at Android Market.

Share your musical passions

Enhanced by Z Series’ unique ergonomic body design, the xLOUDTM speaker system offers ‘phones-free’ sharing of music – no speaker dock needed.

And as it’s much more than just a music player, Walkman Z Series helps you share all your content at home and on the move.

Hook up wirelessly and simply with other DNLA-enabled devices – then touch the screen and ‘Throw’ music, pictures and videos from Walkman direct to TVs, PCs, or home audio system.

Connect Walkman with your TV for super-size enjoyment of videos, games and photos – with micro HDMI out for high definition fun. Or connect effortlessly to Bluetooth® speakers, headphones, hi-fi systems or car stereos – with no fiddly wires needed.

Beautiful low reflection LCD screen for maximum visual entertainment

Music, videos, games and apps come alive on the unique low-reflection 10.9cm (4.3″) multi-touch LCD screen. Its high responsiveness combined with a speedy 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor keep things snappy whether you’re browsing web pages, movies or apps.

Available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities, the new Walkman Z1000 Mobile Entertainment Player from Sony is available from late February 2012.