Sony Walkman Z

Sony Walkman Z

It would seem that both Sony and Samsung are engaging in some kind of historical re-enactment of the great iPod Wars of 2007. That's the only way I have to explain the rash of portable media players I've been seeing recently. Just like Samsung's Galaxy Player devices, the Sony Walkman Z ($249) aims to compete against Apple's popular iPod Touch with a mixture of Android 2.3, a larger screen, and a handful of brag-worthy features. Has Sony finally unlocked the secret to making a worthy alternative to Apple's $199 media player juggernaut, or is the Walkman Z a historical and alphabetical final attempt from Sony to wrestle back a product category it once dominated? Let's break it down. Sony knows how to make beautiful technology, and the Walkman Z has clearly received plenty of Sony polish and refinement. This isn't the flimsy, plastic-clad afterthought we saw with the Samsung Galaxy Player 4 and 5. The Walkman Z feels solid in your hand, and the matte finish and sculpted look all bear the marks of a designer's touch. That said, there are plenty of indications here that both Sony's and Samsung's designers must have been cohabitating in the same windowless bunker for the last four years. For example, at 0.44 inch thick, the Walkman Z is nearly twice as thick as an iPod Touch from two years ago.