NW-X1060

The NW-X1060 was the top model in the 2009 X Series Network Walkman lineup. It paired 32 GB of storage with the premium branch's touchscreen, Wi-Fi, WQVGA OLED display, noise cancellation, direct USB, WM-PORT, video and photo playback, S-Master amplifier, DSEE, OneSeg TV, YouTube, and podcast support. It played MP3, AAC-LC, WMA, and Linear PCM files, with battery life rated for 33 hours of music or 9 hours of video.

The higher capacity made the X Series ambition easier to understand. This was Sony trying to build a premium touch-based portable that could stand near the devices already absorbing the media-player category. The X1060 still behaved like a dedicated Walkman, but its Wi-Fi, video, web services, and OLED screen pushed it toward a broader pocket media role.

It sits at a tense moment in Sony's transition. The old music-first formula was still present, but the product clearly had to answer a market shaped by touch interfaces and connected playback.