Sony: Walkman, meet Android Sony has launched an Android-based Walkman, the F800, with which it hopes to topple the supremacy Apple's iPod Touch holds in the PMP market. Good luck. The Sony Walkman F800 boasts a 3.5in display and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, providing access to Google Play and its wide array of apps and games. It'll come in 8GB …
So, it's like a phone that can't make phone calls or take pictures or use the internet w/out wifi?
Has anyone at Sony paused to ask themselves who their target market for these is?
The people who don't have smartphones wouldn't go for an android-based music player; otherwise they'd have a smartphone:
If it's because they can't afford a carrier-subsidized smartphone, they won't be able to afford this either.
If it's because they're too old and/or stupid to use one, they won't have a better time with this.
If it's because they're a curmudgeon who doesn't approve of new technology, they're still using the old walkman, the kind with the cassette tape, and if you ask them to switch to this newfangled thing, they'll react with profanity or a story about how life was back in their day.
The people who do have smartphones, on the other hand, are already carrying a device exactly like this, only with always-on internet access and better specs, so why buy a redundant device...?
I mean, if it was disposably cheap, so you can use it when you'd be afraid to use the cellphone, sure - something to listen to in the bathtub, or when you're going to the annual kleptomaniacs anonymous meeting. But this doesn't look anywhere near that cheap.
For that matter, who the hell even buys iPod Touch's anymore? (less people every year)
Sony, I've got a pro tip for you: Don't jump into a market where the market leader is gaining market share while their sales into said market fall 30% year on year (see iPod touch sales figures).
So I have a phone and a tablet but I also have a music device (yeah yeah in this case they are all iDevices but I use the generic term in this case cuz I can).
Phone -> Makes phone calls and some apps, email, and mobile TV
Tablet -> Apps, web, and games. Sometimes video calls.
Music device -> music, supports the incar dash and has a much higher capacity than the phone. That way I have all my music in the car, and with the link up the car supports (Pioneer thingy) have playlists, album covers and the like
Now a 32Gb device like this Sony wouldnt work. I have 140Gb on the ipod. But a phone device would never come close. I could do USB into the Pioneer, but the biggest thumb drive I have isnt close (64Gb).
So yeas, despite the fact that it wouldnt work for **YOU** (or some others), there is a market segment out there that needs the devices. (Just like that long forgotten market segment that wants a phone that is well just a phone which is why you can still buy those strangely enough!).
Hold off your horses with slagging off the iTouch,
Its ten times better than any other device out there for playing music, games, viewing JPEGs and all sorts of other things - it will act as a phone as well if you have a personal wifi spot on you - much cheaper than the so called 'smartphones' that have seemed to have taken over the world.
As for lack of sales thereof, perhaps it has something to do with the fact Apple have note updated the iTouch since 2010, unless of course if you think adding White is a update.
I like it, my daughter prefers it to the iPad 3 and basically thats all that matters me.
"Hold off your horses with slagging off the iTouch,"
If you're going to pontificate, maybe it's best not to draw extra attention to how ill-informed you are by getting the *name* of the device wrong?
It's called an iPod Touch, and you're wrong anyway. HTH HAND and shrimp.
Evidently, you don't get on to Apple Fanbois sites all that often - its generically referred too as the 'iTouch' and not an iPod Touch - although in reality, its more like a stripped down version of the iPhone - hence, its actually a nice bit of kit, particularly for those who hate being tied to mobile networks, also, I JB mine, so not jailed in the Apple ecosystem either - a win win is all I can say and in reference to the Sony device, its 2012 and they can only manage 32G of space - the iTouch launched with 64G and all in all represents better value than a bloody iPad!!!!!!!!!!
> Has anyone at Sony paused to ask themselves who their target market for these is?
Actually, I know LOADS of people who have work smartphones (usually - but not always - Blackberries, the poor bastards) and they are so limited in storage that they can't use them as a personal music/media device. So, either they go out and buy their own smartphone - and why bother when work are prepared to let you use theirs for all your personal calls, texts and data? - or they get an MP3 player. My sister has been looking for AGES for an MP3 player that would be able to connect to some decent portable speakers without using a 3.5mm jack cable and that isn't made by the fruity firm (iTunes phobic, like all sensible people are). Nothing really stood out but this looks like it might do the trick if it docks with the speaker on the Sony website.
You missed the bit about the battery life, didn't you? Some of us already have smartphones but don't want to run the risk of running out of battery while we are listening to music so we can't make calls or do anything else until we find a charger. We aren't bothered about running down the battery on our music player though.
Most likely, it is infected with DRM; and that alone makes it crippled, at least in this `still smarting from that dammed Sony root-kit infected CD` person's POV.
Sony, there is no limit to their arrogance, and they truly deserve all the shit directed at them. Their C level suite `got off` too easy for the root-kit fiasco. Any other mope would be doing time.
Rememebr their history - it evolved.
They had CD Tape and MD Walkmans, the first HDD Walkmans were sort of based on the MD ones. MD uses ATRAC which sounds better than similar rate MP3, so the first HDs were basically using a HDD as a giant MD.
They finally went MP3 with AFAIR the HD5, and was at the time the audiophiles choice of PMP.
I own a MD Walkman, see no need to change to a MP3 player as I use it rarely.
Yep I still have MD player(s), got one in the car, the CD->MD copier and the original player. Having just 5 MD's in the car is the equivalent of having about 20 CD's, more than enough selection alongside FM radio.
The sound quality of the original portable is excellent with decent headphones, far better than any telephone i've listened to even when listening to the high compression (approx 4.5 CDs per disk), plus the player runs for ~40 hours off of one AA battery.
No, I haven't, nor have my international grade audio broadcast engineer colleagues, who can diagnose flaws in the broadcast chain by ear alone. Sometimes the suggestibility of empty prejudice and the attendant empty ranting is just adorable.
(Bla bla bla, double blind test, etc.)
Could they not make this thing a little more interesting? To us jaded first worlders, this is not too compelling. I assume this it Apple in the dust when it comes to sound quality, which should be easy. From the 1st gen iPod on, iDevices have never really sounded "great" but always merely "good". So that's that and it might be the sole reason for this to exist in the first place. But
• 32GB? Really? I have a Nokia N9 with 64GB at my disposal that sounds pretty great and comes with a halfway decent player. And it's also the slickest phone in the known universe. So give me 64 or even better 128GB – or at least a cardslot. Something!
• Formats! From what I seee his thing plays neither FLAC nor ALAC (which is open by now!). If you want to cater to audiophiles you have to offer lossless support.
Who is the target?! SONY fanboys that are too much in love with their old candybar phone?
Had a Sony phone years ago, utter cack, then a year or so later utterly dead cack. Now just bought a simple walkman that simply doesn't play music or radio. I'll keep that for calls, and use my Huawei G300 for media, games, internet, and calls as and when I unlock it.
Just my 2 pence.
I never really understand this.
I only have a 16gb card in my phone, much of which is used for apps and data.
Of music I have 2gb used, which gives me enough music to last 4 times as long as the battery will last without repeating a single track.
My music collection is stored on my laptop and backup drives (about 144 days woth of constant play) so I just sync a different playlist when I want to change. Phone charges at the same time no problem there either.
Changing music on an mp3 player would defeat most of the point for me. Mine mostly lives in the car with my entire collection on it, it only really comes out when I buy new music. This means I need capacity. I don't want to have to keep connecting to the computer to change things or choose in advance - doing that would actually be more hassle than putting a different set of CDs in the changer in the boot. Having everything is also good on holiday when I'm away from the computer but not from a power supply.
Hello.
If you're content to accept mp3 encoded 'music' files at very low bit rates and high dynamics and frequency loss due to the compression then you're well off. Sadly for me (and many others) I'm not and I want my music to sound at least as good as a CD and ideally better. That's why I only (unless impossible) store FLAC lossless files on my portable music player, in my case an Android phone using the PowerAmp application. I can EASILY tell the difference between mp3 below 320kbps and FLAC encode 16 bit CD files and FLAC encoded 24 bit files (eg The Beatles USB stick content) are obviously superior to both. I have a 64Gb microSD card in my phone and it's filled by 160 albums.
I should point out that I'm 48, grew up in the age of analogue HiFi, am a musician, qualified sound engineer and reckon that even a cassette recording off FM radio in the early 80s sounds better than most mp3!
Then it proves the point that most of us aren't and can't easily tell the difference between 192 ot 320 kbps. Mine is 192 on the phone. I don't use fancy earphones so there isn't a lot of point. My music on the laptop is a much higher bitrate mp3 or flac, but used to stream into virtual world platforms (at around 128) so yeah, you have a point, but I think most of us aren't that bothered.
Hmm look really nice and probably sounds better. However 300 quid for 32Gb sounds extremely expensive, you can get a 64Gb iPod Touch for that and a Samsung for much, much less _and_ has a SD card slot. Sony have made great sounding kit for years but have never seemed terribly competitive - I don't think they'll shift many at this price.
I know one person, just one, who owns a Sony Walkman MP3 player.
I've used it. It has one drawback, which is the limited 4gb memory.
But the sound quality is excellent. Just about the best I have heard.
If only Sony could get the marketing juju they had when they created the walkman brand, then Apple would be a dead duck. A music player for just playing music. EXACTLY what I am looking for.
I have a 7 year old Sony Walkman MP3 player, it can play ATRAC, MP3, AAC, Windows files no problem. It's still working and the sound quality still beats any Apple Ipods./touch
DRM ? That's Apple's arena, I think Sonyh ave learnt frm their past mistakes,
In regards to pricing they need to sort it out as I think it's a gret piece of kit..
I bought a 8Gb Sony mp3 player 5 years ago for £70 (Argos sale). It's great, perfectly practical in the home and out and about, and I've been looking forward to upgrading to a 32Gb or 64Gb model.
5 long years later and there is still no shift in price! It's unbelievable. I couldn't even buy the same capability for less money. Does anybody know why all Sony 32Gb Walkmans start from £200? You can get a 32Gb memory stick for a tenner. Are we really just getting stitched up or is there something I'm missing?
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