NW-E305

The NW-E305 introduced the Walkman Beans design to the sixth-generation E Series. It offers 512MB built-in storage for ATRAC and MP3 playback and achieved up to 50 hours from a lithium-ion battery. The bean-shaped body also includes an FM radio tuner. Known by the nickname "Walkman Beans," it sat between the earlier E400/E500 family and the A Series in Sony's flash lineup.

The model where the E Series stopped looking like electronics and started looking like something people might actually want to wear around. Nicknamed "Walkman Beans," it pushed the line away from the straight, utilitarian forms of earlier E Series models and into something softer, stranger, and much more obviously styled. The bean-shaped body, FM tuner, lithium battery, and compact all-in-one feel helped move the E Series into a more lifestyle-oriented role.