Hong Kong-based startup introduces wireless cassette player resembling Sony Walkman

Now might be a good time to dig out those old cassettes as an old 80s legend is making a comeback. No, we’re are not talking about the Mötley Crüe, we’re talking about the golden cassette players that gave rise to the ‘mixtape’ trend.

A startup based in Hong Kong is reviving the old cassette trend with a Walkman-style, Bluetooth-compatible portable cassette player. It has been over 40 years since Sony kickstarted the portable music player trend with the first Walkman, which fueled the cassette boom.

Ninm Lab’s 'It’s OK ' is what a Walkman would look like in 2019 if Sony continued the tape-based music player. Unlike the portable cassette players of the past, 'It’s OK' features Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, which will allow you to pair it to wireless headphones or a Bluetooth speaker. However, Ninm also gives you the option to use wired headphones with a 3.5mm jack if you want to go for a truly retro vibe. The Walkman-style music player also features AA batteries.

Ninm is selling 'It’s OK' for $75 in three different colour variants. Ninm Lab has already tripled its funding for the Walkman-style music player, and the Kickstarter project is due to run until August 5. The company also confirmed that deliveries would be fulfilled by December 2019. The Hong Kong-based startup is also including a blank tape with 'It’s OK.'

While sales of audio cassettes are on the decline, they are far from extinct. A report from the INQUIRER.net claimed that cassette sales in the United Kingdom had doubled in 2018. Popular TV shows set in the 80s – Stranger Things, Black Mirror and The Goldbergs – has also brought back moments of nostalgia for 1980s tech.