Sony Mobile

CES 2012: Sony Tablet P Overview (Video)

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 10, 2012 | 17 comments

With CES now into full swing, we had a chance at a less hectic and more private event with Sony last night at which we had an opportunity to get our hands on all sorts of Sony gear and spend some time without a mob behind us. As you very well know, the consumer electronic industry is currently in a tablet craze as all companies attempt to stay relevant with some form of tablet. Unfortunately, this has also caused 90% of tablets without the name iPad on them to want to be the iPad, thus creating a lackluster, wannabe-like experience.

Enter the Sony Tablet P, which takes the core ideas of a tablet, like running apps, reading books, and playing movies, and places them on a dual 5.5-inch LCD screen design. This new clamshell form not only gives you portability on the go, but can also give you functionality while being stationary like a keyboard on one screen and your information on the other. Below is a video preview of the Sony Tablet P.

Sony Tablet S Drops a $100 in Price. Is it Enough?

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 3, 2012 | 27 comments

Like countless other companies who have entered the tablet wars and have had to reduce their price to gain some form of traction, the Sony Tablet S is taking a $100 off of it’s MSRP to fight for some attention in the already crowded market. The Sony Tablet S was released less than half a year ago to mostly praises for a design that actually inspired, unlike the other Android tablets were just iPad knockoffs. With the Apple iPad juggernaut not showing any signs of slowing down and a lack of advertisement from Sony on their tablet, Sony is hoping that a new lower price point will help attract some new users. The new prices are as follows:

Sony Tablet S 16GB – $399
Sony Tablet S 32GB – $499

Still, it’s hard to see how much of an impact this will have, outside of the general tech crowd who will hear about this announcement. Unless Sony puts some form of HP tablet fire sale, it’s hard to imagine that any price cut will matter if Sony isn’t willing to advertise their device. As we pointed earlier, the Tablet S seemed to be one of the few tablets on the market that actually offered something different when compared to other tablets with mostly high praises. Hopefully 2012 will usher in a new era for Sony where they understand that in order for your products to sell, people actually have to know that they exist.

Sony Ericsson Will End Sponsorship of WTA Tour in 2012

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 23, 2011 | 5 comments

Come the end of the 2012 season, Sony Ericsson will be ending its sponsorship of the WTA tour. Since 2005, Sony Ericsson has been the sponsor of the WTA tour with a six-year contract worth $88 million. The contract was later extended to 2012, after which Sony Ericsson will bow out.

The WTA will soon be on the lookout for a new sponsor;

2012 will be the eighth and final year of the partnership. They have been a great partner and we will miss them.

Sony Ericsson PR manager Graciela Pineda explained that

this was a strategic decision based on the evolution of the business and the brand.

It’s not hard to imagine that part of the pullback from Sony is related to the full buyout of the partnership between Sony and Ericsson in which Sony will buy the remaining 50% of the joint venture. Seeing how the full buyout will cost Sony billions of dollars and the fact that Sony is behind its rivals like Apple and Samsung, Sony needs to save every penny it can and instead use it in R&D and proper marketing of their devices.

Sony Outlines Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Rollout Time Table

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 22, 2011 | 31 comments

The soon-to-be defunct Sony Ericsson, which will then become just Sony, is revealing its hand when it comes to Android 4.0. The new update, which is called Ice Cream Sandwich, will be coming to quite a few of the Xperia phones in a multi-month, phased rollout. Sony will kick things off with the Xperia Arc S, Neo V, and Ray with a late-March to early-April release window. Then, later in April to early May, the Xperia Active, Arc, Mini, Mini Pro, Neo, Play, Xperia Pro handsets, and yes, Live With Walkman, will get their own chance at upgrading to Ice Cream Sandwich. Don’t expect that all devices will get Android 4.0 at the same time. Sony is very clear that this will be a phased roll out, meaning depending on your phone model and carrier, you could be receiving the update at a different. Sony explains that there is five parts required on their part to make Android 4.0 available to you:

It starts with public push when we as a manufacturer get access to the new Android release from Google
Our developers take the existing Xperia™ software and combine it with the new Android release
Once the coding is done we want to make sure the quality of the new software meets our, our partners and your expectations
Now we feel the new software is ready but we also need to make sure it’s approved by our external partners
All good. We’re all set to roll-out the new software. The story continues in your Xperia™ smartphone

With Sony hoping to climb the Android totem pole to the top, we can only hope that they stay aggressive and that the mentioned time table sticks.

Sony Ericsson to Be No More in Mid-2012, Currently Holds 19% of Android Market Share

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 7, 2011 | 15 comments

The days are now numbered for the once partnership that begin between Sony and Ericsson 10 years ago. The two companies are in midst of filling the final paper work that would end the 50/50 partnership. Though in the early days, the partnership was hailed between the two companies, thanks to Apple and the advent of the smartphone rise, Sony Ericsson began to fall behind and unable to compete with Apple and other Android makers like Samsung and HTC. Kristian Tear, executive VP & head of sales & marketing of Sony Ericsson,

“A lot of planning goes into getting the branding right but we will be done by middle of next year. It will also mean that the marketing and advertising investments will go up. We haven’t been as fierce as we were a few years back but we will step it up, refocus and invest more in brand-building in select markets and India is one of those markets”

Sony is hoping that by bringing all smartphone operations in house and under one roof, the company will be better able to leverage it’s many assets, including their technological strength that has the company building industry leading televisions with the Bravia line and their powerful gaming machine, the PlayStation 3. Sony of course has their hands in the entertainment industry as well with Sony Pictures and Sony/BMG (music).

“Sony is the world’s biggest entertainment company. We were earlier a 50-50 JV, but now that we are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corp. We expect to gain from its assets on the content , technology and brand side,”

When looking at the larger smartphone market, Sony Ericsson currently only holds 2% of the market thought that number raises to 19% if we consider only Android smartphones. Sony hopes that by bringing in their media and consumer electronic background to the smartphone race, they can create some unique Android smartphones and rise to the top of the Android totem pole, something that they’ve been striving for during the past few years. The company has had some unfortunate setbacks though, mostly out of their hands.

“Last eight quarters have been good for us and we are proud of that. We went from focusing only on volumes to value but the big setback was what happened in Japan with the Tsunami, which put us back for this year quite a bit. But we are going in the right direction,”

With a large fragmentation happening in the Android market and little that differentiates one device from another, Sony has a unique opportunity to pull together all of their assets and offer would be Android buyers and switchers a different take and ecosystem, something that Apple has been able to do.

Sony Ericsson Contain No Carrier IQ on Xperia Smartphones

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 6, 2011 | 8 comments

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Carrier IQ controversy which has dragged companies like Apple, RIM, HTC, and Nokia through the mud. Carrier IQ is a company who offers their technology services on various devices, including iOS, Android and Windows smartphones. The company specifically provides a software called “IQRD” with “intelligence solutions to the wireless industry” which logs user data. However, without permission from carriers or hardware makers, Carrier IQ is being accused of logging Web searches and every single button that is being tapped. iOS users are the least hurt by this as only phone call and location was being logged, in which case users could have also cut off all access to the software by by simply going to Settings -> General -> About -> Diagnostics & Usage -> Don’t Send.

However, the real winner or most protected device in all this is the Xperia smartphones by Sony Ericsson. In an official press release by Sony Ericsson, the company has revealed that they do not install or support Carrier IQ on their Xperia lineup of Android smartphones. Full press release and your comments, after the break.

Sony Ericsson Will Shut Down Sync Services by December 29th

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 28, 2011 | 11 comments

And just like that, the soon-to-be-phased out Sony Ericsson will be ending their legacy, Sync services. Sony Ericsson Sync was designed to give older Sony Ericsson phones, aka not smartphones, sync abilities.

Sony Ericsson Sync service since it was meant for old generation phones and our aim is to create a more enhanced and integrated smartphone experience for you

Sony Ericsson, which will be reborn next year under the Sony moniker, recommends that users switch to alternative services, such as Google Sync, Plaxo, and UNYK. We can’t imagine that this drop of service will affect too many users while we applaud the company for dropping outdated services and letting those who are better suited to offer such services, i.e. Google, to take on the cost of development and infrastructure.

Sony Ericsson Xperia active Delayed in UK; Sony Will Offer LiveView for Free

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 22, 2011 | 2 comments

One of the things that I’ve liked about Sony Ericsson has been their attempt at creating different kinds of Android smartphones. While everyone has been busy upping their single core processors to dual core and just raising specs from one device to another, Sony has been one of the few makers who has created different smartphones, catered to different consumer groups. The efforts have also shown signs of paying off, though in our opinion, if Sony would actually properly market their products, they might be far more ahead then where they currently sit; however, that’s a topic for a different article. The Sony Ericsson Xperia active fits this bill quite accordingly. A one of a kind Android smartphone, designed for users who are well, active in their life. The Xperia active is both dust-proof and water-resistant. In fact, the phone can be kept under 1m of water for 30 mins.

Parts of Europe have received shipments of the Xperia active as early as September but UK, a major territory was left out of the launch at the last minute. Sony never confirmed the reasoning but is now targeting the end of November for a launch window. As the mantra goes, good things come to those who wait, UK owners should be pleased that Sony is sweetening the deal for them by throwing in their LiveView (£40, $63) accessory, for free. LiveView is a 1.3-inch OLED colour (128×128 pixel) display accessory with a clip which can attach to your belt, wrist band and whatever else place you can think of. With a four touch sensor display, two physical buttons and bluetooth, LiveView is designed to integrate with existing apps and display additional information for you, without requiring you to take your phone out to view the content. Examples include texts messages, email and Facebook notifications appearing right on the LiveView screen. To make finding compatible LiveView apps easier, Sony has also developed the LiveWare manager which scans the Android Market for LiveView capable apps. Now if someone would just hurry up and make a communicator badge that I can wear on my chest so that I can make calls Star Trek style, I and the rest of the geek kingdom would highly appreciate it. So would Star Fleet.

After the jump, additional pictures of the LiveView, a video overview from Sony and your chance to comment await you.

Sony Ericssons vscreens App Allows You to Stream Photos to Internet TV’s

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 21, 2011 | 10 comments

Sony Ericsson is introducing a new app for all Android 2.1 and higher smartphones which enables you to stream your pictures to a TV with a web browser with little to no setup. Android users can find the free app in the Android market, after which they simply need to surf to vscreens.com on their internet enables TV or device like the PlayStation 3 where a QRcode will appear on screen. After scanning the barcode with the vscreens app, a connection is automatically established over the air and streaming can begin. From within the app, users can then display photos they’ve taken to the streaming device, without the need for a Bluetooth connection or any other setup box or device. The free app is available now.

After the jump, additional pictures await you where of course, your comments are welcomed.

Sony and Adobe Announce Winners of App Developers Challenge

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 17, 2011 | 12 comments

Sony entered the tablet market nearly two months ago with the Tablet S and is planning on following it up with even a more unique variation, the Tablet P. Both tablets which run on Android Honeycomb will also have access to an array of apps, built on Adobe’s Air platform. This is especially important when we consider the Tablet P which has a very unique dual 5.5-inch multitouch clamshell display which can be both empowering and challenging to developers. Prior to launching the Tablet S, Sony and Adobe put together a challenge and a $200,000 cash prize for developers who could create some of the best apps, utilizing Adobe Air.

After hundreds of entries for the App Developers Challenge, which spanned from countries like Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, UK and of course, the USA, seven winning apps were chosen. Not only will these app developers receive the cash prize, but Sony will also offer their apps “premium” promotion via Sony’s Select App, a website with shortcut icons on the tablets’ home-screen which highlight Sony-recommended Android apps.

After the jump, a list of the winning apps.

Sony Increases Smartphone Market Share and Revenue Since 2009

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 15, 2011 | 3 comments

Sony has always been extremely vocal about their smartphone strategy, insisting that they will eventually become the top Android handset maker. Traditionally, such comments tend to be grand without much to back them up, especially from Sony who has been known to be arrogant about topic matters, only to fall behind to competitors. However, if we take a step back from the quarter-to-quarter coverage of Sony’s smartphone venture and look at the company’s track record for the last three years, we might see a completely different take on the once-fledgling business venture.

When Sony released their then-flagship smartphone, the Xperia X10, the company was already playing catch up to the likes of Apple, LG, and Samsung. Even worse, when the Xperia X10 did finally launch, it came powered by Google Android 1.6, an 6-month-old OS build while competitors were launching with Android 2.1. Sony eventually announced and released Android 2.1 for the Xperia X10 but went on record that no further updates would come to the once-flagship phone. This, ironically, would leave the Xperia X10 out of Sony’s eReader bookstore, which promised wireless syncing between books purchased on Android smartphones and Sony’s Reader devices.

Months later, something changed at Sony and the company went back and stated that the Xperia X10 would indeed be getting further Android updates and eventually, Android 2.3 came to the Xperia X10. The company, from there, would actually be on the forefront of Android updates, releasing Android 2.3.4 before competitors, while the Xperia PLAY, neo, and mini received Skype 2.0 well before other Android phones would. The biggest announcement of all came in late October when Sony announced that they would buy the remaining shares of their joint venture with Ericsson and bring all future smartphone development in-house.

So, the question is: Have all these strategic decisions made a difference to the company’s bottom line and market share? In the most recent report by Oppenheimer, it seems so. According to the research, since 2009, Sony Ericsson (grey color) has been able to slowly increase its number of smartphone market shares and generated revenue. The numbers of course pale in comparison to Apple, Samsung, and HTC, as Apple alone accounts for 56% of the profits. Still, the numbers are encouraging when you account for the huge loss that Nokia continues to sustain quarter after quarter. So, although Sony still has a long road before they are to become a top Android smartphone vendor, the overall picture sheds a different light on the company’s future outlook, and, in my eyes, its a brighter one.

After the jump, view the full chart and, while you are there, share your thoughts with us.

Sony to Phase Out Feature Phones

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 31, 2011 | 100 comments

Though it’s been less than a week since Sony announced their plans to buy the remaining 50% stake in their joint venture with Ericsson, Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer is already looking beyond that. In a recent conference call which took place after the mentioned announcement, Mr. Stringer went on to note that Sony will phase out all feature phones from their lineup, like the W995 (pictured below,) and, nigh-on, the entire Walkman range of handsets.

We’re phasing out feature phones.

Sony Ericssons current CEO, Hans Vestberg, who many believe will head Sony’s mobile phone operations, once the buyout is completed also commented on the matter and further confirmed Sir Howard Stringer’s strategy.

First of all, Sony Ericsson has gone through a big transformation. They will take the decision they need to make for the company to succeed. And I guess it’s a question for the company more than for us.

To be clear, feature phones are non-smartphone models; think pre-iPhone. Such a move will have Sony Mobile focus and create strictly smartphones, which currently comprises of Android OS, though there have always been rumors that Sony may embrace Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS as well.

Kaz Hirai Dances Around Subject of Sony Buying out Ericsson and Bringing Mobile Operations in House

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 25, 2011 | 2 comments

At AsiaD, Sony’s executive deputy president, Kaz Hirai, discussed a wide range of business in which Sony has a stake. Over the last few months, Sony has continously stressed the importance of the mobile landscape and pointed to its success in that market as an integral part of their strategy. Many have always pointed towards the joint venture between Sony and Ericsson as a dysfunctional partnership, due to cultural and corporate differences. This has also lead Sony from falling into 6th place position in smartphone sales worldwide. The constraints of the joint venture has also made Sony uncompetitive compared to rivals at HTC and Samsung, let alone Apple and their iPhone juggernaut.

Many critics, including us, have pointed towards the synergy Sony can have by bringing their mobile operations in house, which would see software and hardware produced in one location. This would not only allow them to put out more cohesive products, but Sony can also better align product features and launches with other products which made benefit from each and enhance the experience between the two. Kaz Hirai was asked about rumors of Sony buying out the remaining shares of their Ericsson joint venture and bringing all operations in house.

Hirai: I’m not going to comment on the speculation. After April, when Sony made its latest reorganization, one of the things I’ve done with Sony’s CEO and Sony Ericsson’s CEO is recognize that Sony Ericsson is an important part of Sony’s overall strategy, and that the two are in lockstep, whether it is a joint venture or not. That’s one of the things we are embarking on.

“Those are the kinds of things we need to work on to make sure it is a seamless experience.”

We’ve pointed out that we believe Kaz is a smart guy and he gets it. Also, if such a report were not true, then Sony could simply deny all claims. Instead, when Kaz was asked about it again by Walt:

Walt: So, are you going to buy out Ericsson in the cellphone space?

Again, Hirai says he won’t comment on speculation. The most important thing is that we are able to work a lot closer with the folks at Sony Ericsson.

Kaz ever so slightly confirms in our view that this is indeed the strategy that Sony is going forward with by confirming the fact that they need to work a lot closer with the folks at Sony Ericsson. Can’t get any closer than bringing them in house, right?

PlayStation Store Lands on Sony Tablet S. Game List and Prices Announced

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 19, 2011 | 3 comments

Sony has long recognized that in order for the PlayStation brand to expand, they would need to reach outside of the traditional PlayStation family, which currently includes the PlayStation 3, PSP, and will expand with the PS Vita in February 2012. The Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY is currently the only PlayStation Certified Android smartphone with PlayStation games available for it, though it still has no access to the PlayStation Store. The Sony Tablet S, however, is not only the first PlayStation Certified tablet, but is also the first to receive the PlayStation Store.

The PlayStation Store launches today on the Sony Tablet S in nine countries, including the US and Canada. 10 PlayStation One titles will kick off this event with Sony planning on adding more as time goes on. There have even been rumors of PlayStation 2 titles eventually making their way onto the store though I wouldn’t hold my breath on that. Each PS One title will cost $5.99, the list of which includes:

Cool Boarders
Destruction Derby
Hot Shots Golf 2
Jet Moto
Jet Moto 2
Jumping Flash!
MediEvil
Motor Toon Grand Prix
Rally Cross
Wild Arms

Installing the PS Store is easy. Sony Tablet S owners will receive a notification letting you know that the PS Store has opened and is available for download. From there, simply follow the on-screen directions to download the PS Store App and start downloading games for the Sony Tablet S.

Sony has always insisted that the PlayStation Store experience will not be limited to their smartphones and tablets and that other manufacturers are able to get in on the action as well. This entire initiative is based around expanding Sony’s reach with the PlayStation brand in hopes of drawing people back into their main devices like the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita while also setting their devices apart.

Sony Ericsson Profits Drop for Q3, Ships 22 Million Handsets

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 14, 2011 | 4 comments

Sony Ericsson has just posted their 2011 Q3 earnings report with a mixed bag. The joint venture between Sony and Ericsson has had a rough time in the past few years against the onslaught of the iPhone and bitter rivalry in the Android community which had current CEO, Bert Nordberg reflect on the last few years. With profits dropping though, this could potentially play favorable for Sony who is looking to buy the remaining shares of Ericsson and bring the entire mobile operation in house.

Though profits have dropped, the company was actually able to break even for the quarter, versus the previous year which saw the company bleed out €50 million. This was mostly due to higher taxes, €17 million versus last years €12 million. Net profits were also down to zero, compared to last years €49 million ($67.26 million) during Q3 but better that Q2 of 2011 €50 million loss ($69 million).

Sales were also down for the year, to €1.59 billion ($2.18 billion) from €1.6 billion ($2.2 billion) last year. However, some things are starting to go right for the company which was able to shift 80% of its business to Xperia smartphones with 22 million units shipped. The company was also able to raise the average selling price of each phone to €166 ($230) versus €154 ($213) for Q3 2010 which should help the company reach a profitability faster. Units shipped were also down 9.5 million verse the high of 10.4 million for Q3 2010 but much improved when compared to 7.6 million for Q2 2011. Sony Ericsson CEO, Bert Nordberg had this to say;

“We will continue to invest in the smartphone market, shifting the entire portfolio to smartphones during 2012.”

After the jump, full PR and your chance to comment awaits you.

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