Apple iPod gets an Android rival: The Sony Walkman Z1000

Announced at the CES 2012 electronics show in America this week, Sony has announced a new range of Android Walkmans that it hopes will offer a realistic challenge to Apple's iPod Touch range.

For a long time now, Apple has had pretty much its own way in the personal music market. 

The success of the iPod range has been both deserved and phenomenal, as style, ease of use and choice has seen it take more than 70 per cent of the worldwide personal music device share as it revolutionised the market.

But as Samsung and HTC have done with smartphones, and Amazon and the rest is now threatening to do with tablet PCs, Sony is now threatening to do with its iconic Walkman brand – and again it’s down to Google’s Android.

Sony used the annual media fest that is CES to unveil a range of 4.3-inch Android powered Walkman devices. The Z1000 range will come in 8, 16 and 32GB versions, but more importantly has a full touchscreen, access to the full Android Market for apps, video capability and streaming to larger screens via DLNA over Wi-Fi (or a HDMI cable).

While all the new bits are impressive, fans of the Walkman range will be happy to hear that a big ‘W’ on every screen will lead you to the all-important music no matter what screen you’re on, while SensMe is on board to help arrange you playlists via BPMs.

So, anyone sick of iTunes rejoice – a strong all-round music competitor may finally be here.