Yes, Sony is Ditching the 'Walkman' Name on Mobile

Eagle-eyed readers will have likely spotted that, on all promotional materials for the just-announced Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet and Xperia M4 Aqua, a certain branding is missing. Specifically, the music app is no longer called Walkman and is instead referred to simply as ‘Music.’ Alongside Music, you’ll find other media related apps like Albums, Video, PlayStation, and Lifelog. This has caused quite a bit of debate among Sony fans and what it could mean. Some have wondered if it had to do with the end of Music Unlimited or if it’s more related to Sony closing down or spinning off parts of the company that are no longer working.

The answer is, however, much less exciting, though it’s reflective of where Sony is today and a change that will be coming to other Xperia devices.

Though still unofficial, our sources have told us that Music is indeed the new name Sony will be using when conveying its music app and that the Walkman name will be retired from Sony Mobile devices. When released, the Xperia Z4 Tablet and Xperia M4 Aqua will arrive with Android 5.0 Lollipop. With the new OS, Sony is using this as a time to transition and simplify its product lineup. As such, when the update hits older devices like the Xperia Z3, expect the Walkman name to be replaced with Music.

Why the name change? Simple. Outside of those hardcore Sony fans who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, the Walkman brand likely has little relevance to consumers. Ask any 15 year old what Walkman is and they probably haven’t a clue. As such, Sony is retiring the branding in favor of something more obvious like Music with all the same functionality as before. Before you get your pitchforks out, remember that another certain iconic company did that not too long ago.

Back in 2011, Apple replaced their iPod app on iPhone and iPad with Music. Though it provided the same functionality, Apple reasoned that the iPod name should be used exclusively by the iPod devices, and that with the iPhone/iPad firmly established as a class leading devices, they didn’t need to leverage an existing brand to express a function.

For Sony, it’s really about time they did this. Employing the Walkman name always felt like a cheap trick to me in order to elicit a response that no longer mattered. If anything, it highlighted to me the problem of Sony, who has continually lived in the glory of the past and not embraced the future. The Walkman is such a device, a brand that once like Sony, was the pinnacle of high-end and cool tech. Much like Sony, the branding now carries little weight with consumers (don’t hurt me) and if anything, causes confusion.

With an app simply called Music, Sony can instead reshape its future and tell everybody that it’s not the Walkman app that provides superior music playback or functionality and that instead, it’s Sony devices and services. In order for Sony to survive, they need to be less worried about the past and more focused on the now and the future. In a connected, ecosystem-driven world, their products and services need to be tighter then ever – from the number of products they offer to the way apps function and represent themselves. While a simple app rename won’t decide the future of the company, what it can do is declutter the image of Sony, a tech giant with once relevant products and bring into focus the app and what it’s meant to do.

In the end, if the app or product does what it’s meant to do, then everything should fade into the background and become invisible to the user. Technology is at it’s best when it’s there with us every step of the way and yet invisible. If they can achieve this and delight the consumer, then when it comes time for them to think about their experience with the product, only one thing will come to mind: Sony.