Sony’s recent flagship, the Xperia XZ Premium, is a device that gets discussed less than other stalwarts like Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and LG’s G5. Despite packing in some impressive specifications, smartphones from Sony often lose out because they tend to be priced higher than the competition.
It is this pricing and positioning that has led many to wonder what Sony plans to do exactly in the smartphone market. And the answer to that, as mentioned by Sony President Mr. Kazuo Hirai to AFR in an interview, is they have conceded that Sony is no longer going to win the handset game.
Mr. Hirai mentions that while he expects his phone division to be commercially viable, its participation in the smartphone market will continue regardless of its ability to gain market share from the top competition. This is because Sony is eyeing what comes after smartphones, and would like to be on its toes when it does.
A paradigm shift in how we communicate with each other occurs every 10 years or so, but if we don’t remain currently in the business then we don’t get to play or we don’t get to create the next paradigm shift of communication, we basically throw a towel in and lose all the relationships with our retailers and carriers around the world.
Mr. Hirai believes in evolution of technology, and that this evolution will eventually transform what we consider smartphones today to something else in the future. Mr. Hirai even goes on to predict the end of our current concept of smartphones within 10 years, hyperbole or not.
As a result, Sony is diversifying and experimenting in other areas to find out the next big thing. Its eyes are trained on the Internet of Things and Virtual Reality as the two areas that have massive potential to shape our future, and Sony wants to be a part of this future. However, they’ve been toying with many concepts and showing them at tech shows, some of which actually look really nice.
VR is the most logical place for Sony to begin its push, and it can tap into that market by leveraging its existing Playstation brand. VR’s scope is potentially bigger than that of gaming, going beyond to other areas like business to business applications such as training employees to do hazardous tasks. Media, too, is huge on VR, and Sony has that covered through Sony Pictures and Sony Music.
All in all, Sony seems determined to continue within the smartphone market despite their limited financial success in that area. We look forward to what Sony has planned for the future, and what this future actually is.
What are your thoughts on Sony’s current market positioning? Do Sony’s flagships have a chance against premium flagships from other OEMs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: AFR
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