Sony never really stopped making Walkmans, and the next one could be dropping soon. But the latest leak hints at a proper premium music player rather than just another cheap nostalgic cash grab. The upcoming Sony NW-ZX900 has leaked in considerably more detail, with The Walkman Blog publishing images and specifications for the expected successor to 2023’s NW-ZX707.
The report claims that Sony is preparing upgrades to the display, battery, performance, Bluetooth support, and audio processing. The Walkman Blog expects a Japanese price of around ¥210,000, or roughly $1,330. For comparison, Sony’s Japanese store launched the NW-ZX707 at ¥104,500, and Apple’s brand-new iPhone 18 Pro costs $1,199.
What’s getting better with the next Walkman?
The leaked NW-ZX900 apparently manages up to 40 hours playing 128kbps MP3 files and 30 hours while streaming. This would mark a notable improvement in battery life compared to the last-gen NW-ZX707, which Sony rates for approximately 25 hours of MP3 playback through its Music Player app and around 22 hours through other music apps.
The five-inch display reportedly stays the same size but jumps from HD to Full HD, while the player moves to Android 16. Internal storage remains 64GB with microSD expansion. Performance is likely getting an upgrade as well. Previous GeekBench sightings pointed toward 8GB of RAM, which is double what the ZX707 offered, alongside a significantly newer Qualcomm platform. Unfortunately, the exact chip details are still at large.
Your pocket is going to notice it
Sony’s next Walkman isn’t just becoming heavier on the wallet; you might feel it weigh down your pockets too. The NW-ZX900 reportedly measures 139.8 x 77.2 x 17.5mm and weighs 345 grams. The ZX707 weighs 227g, meaning the new model could be roughly 52% heavier.
Sony is reportedly sticking with an aluminum chassis, a regular 3.5mm headphone jack, and the enthusiast-friendly 4.4mm balanced output. The leaked specification list also includes S-Master HX, DSEE Ultimate, DSD Remastering Engine, LC3, and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive. It seems that the company is targeting a November release, though Sony hasn’t announced anything related to the NW-ZX900 yet. So take this with a grain of salt for now.
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