NW-Z1050

The NW-Z1050 was the 16 GB entry model in Sony's first Z Series Network Walkman family. The Z Series introduced a larger 800x480 TFT display, Android-based touchscreen control, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, speaker output, WM-PORT, video and photo playback, S-Master MX, Clear Audio, DSEE, voice recording, FM radio, and support for MP3, AAC, WMA, Linear PCM, and HE-AAC files. Battery life was rated at 20 hours.

This model changed the feel of the Walkman more than its storage tier suggests. It treated the player as a smart media device with apps, touch control, wireless connectivity, and a broader screen-based identity. The result was no longer a refined version of the classic flash Walkman. It behaved like a dedicated audio product trying to live in the same world as smartphones.

The Z1050 sits at the start of Sony's Android Walkman experiment, where the line had to decide how much phone-like behavior it could absorb while still feeling like a Walkman.