Sony Walkman NW-A306 and NW-ZX707 receive major update to Android 14

Android-based music players from manufacturers such as FiiO, Hiby, iBasso or Shanling generally come with Android versions that are several years old, and updates to newer versions are almost never available. This has also been the case for Sony Walkman, such as the NW-A105 that was delivered with Android 9.0 and never received an update to Android 10.

Sony now appears to be following a new update policy for its two latest music players, the Walkman NW-A306 and the Walkman NW-ZX707. After the two Walkmans were launched with Android 12 at the beginning of 2023, Sony released the update to Android 13 around a year ago, and users can now download an update to Android 14. We have already installed the update on a Walkman NW-ZX707 as a test and, as expected, Sony has deactivated many features that are not relevant for a music player.

There are nevertheless a few new features. For example, the Walkman now has more options for customizing the color of the home and lock screens, including the option of coloring app icons. Android 14 also comes with some new wallpapers. Charging processes can now be limited to a maximum of 80% in order to extend battery life. After the update, the Walkman switches off automatically after 72 hours to save battery power.

The update contains the Android security patch from August 2024. The download can be started as usual via the system settings, provided the Walkman is connected to a USB-C charging cable and a Wi-Fi network. Firmware version 3.00 requires a download of around 1,500 MB. Lastly, Sony points out that it is not possible to revert to the older Android version after installing the update.