4 ms·

Sony writes off $1.5B from its mobile division

30 points by kallesverige 12y ago

_sword 12y ago
lol
pkulak 12y ago
This is a shame to hear. I really like my z3 compact. Of course, I had to have it shipped from Europe. I don't think this is a problem with the product.
- listic 12y ago
  Is it not selling in the US? Z3 compact looks like the only phone that kinda doesn't suck, and not too huge (like all the other modern phones today). What is the situation with alternate ROMs for this phone? I was going to buy an older Nexus 4 (cheap, fast enough, not so huge, updates from Google, no extra crapware), but reconsidered when I tried the original HTC One mini in store: it felt actually nice, even if just a little bit on the biggish side (Nexus 5 is much bulkier). Alas, unlike its' bigger sibling, it's laggy with HTC's own software, doesn't come in Google Play edition, doesn't have stable CyanogenMod ROM and battery life is inadequate (I haven't bothered to learn mad battery saving skillz yet). So I'm considering 'upgrading; to the original HTC One GPE, as a stopgap measure. How's your experience with Z3 Compact?
  - Guillaume86 12y ago
    Not OP but I also have a Z3C, I'm happy with it atm. There's no alternative roms yet AFAIK but I think it will eventually come as it looks like it will have a big userbase. The only annoying thing is losing DRMs if you unlock the bootloader (degrades low light quality of stock camera, etc), I don't know if it's better with other brands. I didn't had to unlock it for the moment, I have everything I need. Only pain point when switching from Galaxy S2 has been losing full write access to my SD card with Android 4.4 but it's an android problem (see that issue: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=67570 https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=67570).
  - pkulak 12y ago
    I really like it. There's a fair amount of crapware, but it's not too difficult to get rid of. And after that, the hardware is wonderful. Good camera (not fantastic), small, water proof, and two-day battery life.
- baldeagle 12y ago
  That is a failure of marketing agreements. I just ordered a z3 compact, from the UK. Sony just doesn't have any marketing partnership with the major US carriers (though that is changing with Verizon, somewhat). Years ago, everyone carried sony-ericsson phones; now you have to go to one of seven stores to even see the products.
- sandGorgon 12y ago
  The Z3 is considered the best of breed among camera and battery performance even against the iPhone (Phonearena benchmarks). But really, really bad marketing and sales strategy. Even in India, Sony phones are not really marketed. It is LG and Samsung all the way.
  - Osmium 12y ago
    For what it's worth, in the UK it seems to be marketed fine. First thing I think of is "Waterproof Android iPhone-alternative." It's just expensive and I don't think the market for premium Android phones is all that large when you can get an almost-as-good experience with a dirt-cheap Moto G.
    - pkulak 12y ago
      So they should be marketing it in the US. That's all we buy over here: carrier-subsidized phones that cost as much as a used car.
- wahsd 12y ago
  It's really a shame that Sony Xperia's Z line does not get far more press and accolades. Their hardware and their designs are exponentially superior to Samsung. I believe that Sony is thinking of supporting and shipping stock Android on their devices a la Nexus, but have their shipped Sony apps be removable. That really kind of puts the Xperia on par and even surpasses Nexus devices in many ways.
mathattack 12y ago
This confirms that the money is in the software, not the harder. I see parallels with 80s and 90s desktops.
- wmeredith 12y ago
  Tell that to Apple.
  - coldcode 12y ago
    Exactly, Apple makes its own hardware and software and everything but the money is in hardware.
  - sremani 12y ago
    The Apple model is slightly different, they collect toll for Software through their hardware and accessory premiums. We will never know, the true-r value of the hardware unless they decouple their hardware and software.
  - r00fus 12y ago
    > Tell that to Apple. I think Alan Kay said it best: "People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware."
camillomiller 12y ago
The chinese manufacturers (huawei, xiaomi, lenovo) are eating everybody's lunch, but Apple's.
- sremani 12y ago
  Actually they are eating Apple's lunch too esp. outside the US, where the subsidized device model is not prevalent.
brianbreslin 12y ago
It's a shame to see Sony these days. Growing up Sony was the cool/cutting edge electronics company. Now it's so disjointed. I feel they need new leadership at Sony hq
- tdicola 12y ago
  Yeah at this rate they're probably just going to be a camera and game console company. I remember when seeing a giant Sony CRT TV in someone's house meant they were doing something right (or bad with saving money).
stevebot 12y ago
Ick, that has to hurt. Maybe they could have some beer with Bezos and share in the misery.
GameOfTrolls 12y ago
When will they realize that we're not in the 80's/90's anymore, and that the user experience (i.e. Software mainly) determines your success in consumer electronics. I mean, unless you're pushing GoPro's...oh yet another device Sony didn't come up with first.
bigtunacan 12y ago
Sony makes and has been making for quite some time some pretty impressive hardware, not just in mobile, but across a wide range of devices. There has to be some great technical/engineering talent there, but at the same time there seems to be a problem with management. Poor marketing and bad strategic decisions all over the place. They've had bad marketing behind their phones for ages. I doubt many people remember the Sony P800 or P900 phones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Ericsson_P900 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Ericsson_P900) I had one of these back when most people were buying Nokia Series 40 devices. Back then the P800 was an incredible piece of hardware leaps and bounds beyond the competition, but no one even knew it existed. Fast forward to more current times and look at the flop that is the Sony PS Vita. This is a great technical master piece as far as a dedicated handheld gaming device is concerned. But Sony threw in the towel early and won't push any AAA titles to the device. They have essentially said it is a "niche" product supported by indie games that has to compete with phones. Sony's top brass is convinced there is no longer a market for dedicated game handhelds; somebody better notify Nintendo. The 3DS has outsold the Vita by 36 million+ units despite being by far the inferior technical choice (don't take this as some sort of anti-Nintendo fanboy thing; I own both devices) when we compare the two devices based on technical specifications rather than libraries the PS Vita is the clear winner. This points to bad management and bad marketing. Some of Sony's technical decisions have to be pushed down from on high as well; things like only supporting their proprietary overpriced memory sticks rather than standard SD or microSD is a greedy management driven practices that actively creates hostility and erodes customer loyalties.

30 points by kallesverige 12y ago

lol

This is a shame to hear. I really like my z3 compact. Of course, I had to have it shipped from Europe. I don't think this is a problem with the product.

listic 12y ago
Is it not selling in the US? Z3 compact looks like the only phone that kinda doesn't suck, and not too huge (like all the other modern phones today). What is the situation with alternate ROMs for this phone? I was going to buy an older Nexus 4 (cheap, fast enough, not so huge, updates from Google, no extra crapware), but reconsidered when I tried the original HTC One mini in store: it felt actually nice, even if just a little bit on the biggish side (Nexus 5 is much bulkier). Alas, unlike its' bigger sibling, it's laggy with HTC's own software, doesn't come in Google Play edition, doesn't have stable CyanogenMod ROM and battery life is inadequate (I haven't bothered to learn mad battery saving skillz yet). So I'm considering 'upgrading; to the original HTC One GPE, as a stopgap measure. How's your experience with Z3 Compact?
- Guillaume86 12y ago
  Not OP but I also have a Z3C, I'm happy with it atm. There's no alternative roms yet AFAIK but I think it will eventually come as it looks like it will have a big userbase. The only annoying thing is losing DRMs if you unlock the bootloader (degrades low light quality of stock camera, etc), I don't know if it's better with other brands. I didn't had to unlock it for the moment, I have everything I need. Only pain point when switching from Galaxy S2 has been losing full write access to my SD card with Android 4.4 but it's an android problem (see that issue: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=67570 https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=67570).
- pkulak 12y ago
  I really like it. There's a fair amount of crapware, but it's not too difficult to get rid of. And after that, the hardware is wonderful. Good camera (not fantastic), small, water proof, and two-day battery life.
baldeagle 12y ago
That is a failure of marketing agreements. I just ordered a z3 compact, from the UK. Sony just doesn't have any marketing partnership with the major US carriers (though that is changing with Verizon, somewhat). Years ago, everyone carried sony-ericsson phones; now you have to go to one of seven stores to even see the products.
sandGorgon 12y ago
The Z3 is considered the best of breed among camera and battery performance even against the iPhone (Phonearena benchmarks). But really, really bad marketing and sales strategy. Even in India, Sony phones are not really marketed. It is LG and Samsung all the way.
- Osmium 12y ago
  For what it's worth, in the UK it seems to be marketed fine. First thing I think of is "Waterproof Android iPhone-alternative." It's just expensive and I don't think the market for premium Android phones is all that large when you can get an almost-as-good experience with a dirt-cheap Moto G.
  - pkulak 12y ago
    So they should be marketing it in the US. That's all we buy over here: carrier-subsidized phones that cost as much as a used car.
wahsd 12y ago
It's really a shame that Sony Xperia's Z line does not get far more press and accolades. Their hardware and their designs are exponentially superior to Samsung. I believe that Sony is thinking of supporting and shipping stock Android on their devices a la Nexus, but have their shipped Sony apps be removable. That really kind of puts the Xperia on par and even surpasses Nexus devices in many ways.

mathattack 12y ago

This confirms that the money is in the software, not the harder. I see parallels with 80s and 90s desktops.

wmeredith 12y ago
Tell that to Apple.
- coldcode 12y ago
  Exactly, Apple makes its own hardware and software and everything but the money is in hardware.
- sremani 12y ago
  The Apple model is slightly different, they collect toll for Software through their hardware and accessory premiums. We will never know, the true-r value of the hardware unless they decouple their hardware and software.
- r00fus 12y ago
  > Tell that to Apple. I think Alan Kay said it best: "People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware."

camillomiller 12y ago

The chinese manufacturers (huawei, xiaomi, lenovo) are eating everybody's lunch, but Apple's.

sremani 12y ago
Actually they are eating Apple's lunch too esp. outside the US, where the subsidized device model is not prevalent.

brianbreslin 12y ago

It's a shame to see Sony these days. Growing up Sony was the cool/cutting edge electronics company. Now it's so disjointed. I feel they need new leadership at Sony hq

tdicola 12y ago
Yeah at this rate they're probably just going to be a camera and game console company. I remember when seeing a giant Sony CRT TV in someone's house meant they were doing something right (or bad with saving money).

stevebot 12y ago

Ick, that has to hurt. Maybe they could have some beer with Bezos and share in the misery.

GameOfTrolls 12y ago

When will they realize that we're not in the 80's/90's anymore, and that the user experience (i.e. Software mainly) determines your success in consumer electronics. I mean, unless you're pushing GoPro's...oh yet another device Sony didn't come up with first.

bigtunacan 12y ago

Sony makes and has been making for quite some time some pretty impressive hardware, not just in mobile, but across a wide range of devices. There has to be some great technical/engineering talent there, but at the same time there seems to be a problem with management. Poor marketing and bad strategic decisions all over the place. They've had bad marketing behind their phones for ages. I doubt many people remember the Sony P800 or P900 phones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Ericsson_P900 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Ericsson_P900) I had one of these back when most people were buying Nokia Series 40 devices. Back then the P800 was an incredible piece of hardware leaps and bounds beyond the competition, but no one even knew it existed. Fast forward to more current times and look at the flop that is the Sony PS Vita. This is a great technical master piece as far as a dedicated handheld gaming device is concerned. But Sony threw in the towel early and won't push any AAA titles to the device. They have essentially said it is a "niche" product supported by indie games that has to compete with phones. Sony's top brass is convinced there is no longer a market for dedicated game handhelds; somebody better notify Nintendo. The 3DS has outsold the Vita by 36 million+ units despite being by far the inferior technical choice (don't take this as some sort of anti-Nintendo fanboy thing; I own both devices) when we compare the two devices based on technical specifications rather than libraries the PS Vita is the clear winner. This points to bad management and bad marketing. Some of Sony's technical decisions have to be pushed down from on high as well; things like only supporting their proprietary overpriced memory sticks rather than standard SD or microSD is a greedy management driven practices that actively creates hostility and erodes customer loyalties.