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When Did Sony Stop Making Cassette Walkmans?

The cassette Walkman’s Japanese production ended in April 2010, but its retirement was announced in October—and the Walkman brand continued with digital players.
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Sony stopped making cassette Walkmans in Japan in April 2010 and announced their retirement there in October. That did not mean the Walkman brand ended, or that cassette production stopped everywhere at once: Sony said production in China would continue for some overseas markets.

When was the cassette Walkman discontinued?

The key date depends on what “discontinued” means. Sony halted Japanese production of cassette Walkmans in April 2010. In October, Sony announced the product’s retirement in Japan, with sales continuing until the remaining stock sold through. The Associated Press reported those details on October 25, 2010, quoting Sony spokeswoman Hiroko Nakamura. Associated Press report.

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So, April 2010 is the date Japanese production stopped; October 2010 is when Sony announced the Japanese retirement. Neither date establishes a single worldwide end date. At the time, Sony said cassette Walkmans would still be made in China for some overseas markets. The available reporting does not establish when that overseas production ended.

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Did Sony discontinue the Walkman brand?

No. Sony continued using the Walkman name for players with newer playback formats. Its 2003 annual report traces the line from the cassette player introduced in 1979 to an MD Walkman in 1992 and a Net MD Walkman in 2001; it also describes a Network Walkman using flash memory and IC recording media. Sony 2003 annual report.

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More recently, Sony announced the digital NW-ZX707 and NW-A306 on January 11, 2023. The NW-A306 product page describes Android, Wi-Fi, streaming apps, and local music playback. It is a digital player, not a cassette machine. Sony NW-A306 product page · Sony NW-A306 support page · Sony’s January 11, 2023 announcement.

The support page listed firmware dated July 16, 2026, as of October 7, 2026. Product availability and support details can change, so check Sony’s current pages for the latest status.

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How the cassette player became one format in a broader product line

Sony introduced the original audio cassette Walkman in 1979. The brand later covered several kinds of portable audio player, rather than just cassette devices, as Sony’s annual report makes clear. The cassette model’s retirement was therefore the end of one product category, not the end of every device carrying the Walkman name.

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The Associated Press reported that Sony had sold 220 million cassette Walkman players globally since the July 1979 debut. That figure refers to cassette Walkmans, not all digital products later sold under the Walkman name.

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What “discontinued” means in this case

Question What the evidence establishes
When did Japanese production stop? April 2010, according to Sony’s spokeswoman as quoted by the Associated Press.
When did Sony announce Japanese retirement? October 2010; remaining Japanese stock was to sell through.
Did production end worldwide in April 2010? No. Sony said production in China would continue at the time for some overseas markets. A final global production date is not established.
Did the Walkman brand end? No. Sony later announced digital Walkman models, including the NW-A306 and NW-ZX707 in 2023.

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