NW-E405

The NW-E405 introduced the Walkman Stick design to the E Series flash lineup as part of the fifth-generation family. It offers 512MB built-in storage for ATRAC and MP3 playback on an OLED display and achieved 50 hours of use from a lithium-ion battery. The perfume-bottle-inspired shape established a new visual direction. This model and its siblings set the aesthetic for later flash A Series and subsequent Walkman models.

The model that really introduced the "Walkman Stick" design as a defining object in Sony's flash lineup. By this point, the E Series was being treated as something sleek, lifestyle-oriented, and deliberately recognizable. The OLED display, rechargeable battery, and compact upright body all reinforced a player that felt much more contemporary. It stands as one of the clearest style pivots in the flash Walkman story.