Sony isn't giving up on Xperia just yet
Xperia phone division
got a lifeline this week when CFO Lin Tao declared the brand "a very important business for us" during the company's financial briefing. The reassurance comes as many wondered if
Sony
might finally throw in the towel on smartphones after years of declining sales and market retreats.
But the timing was telling, this pep talk came right after a particularly messy chapter for the brand that's been going on for a few years at this point. Sony had already killed its smaller
Xperia
5 series two years ago, and there's no sign of a new budget Xperia 10 model coming. Its Xperia 1 VII, one of the priciest phones, costing around $1,500, has been lambast for being too expensive and hasn't helped Xperia much beyond getting some eyeballs.
But the latest troubles took things to a new level. Sony had to halt sales after the phones started mysteriously shutting down and dying, forcing the company to issue replacements for defective models. "We are very sorry that we caused inconvenience to the users. I would like to apologise," Tao said during the briefing.
So why stick around?
Sony's keeping Xperia alive for reasons that go way beyond phone sales, though. "Communication technology is a very important technology that Sony has cultivated for a long time," Tao explained, noting that these innovations get used "in areas other than smartphones."
That might explain why Xperia survives despite its market struggles. Sony long ago abandoned two of the largest smartphone markets, India and the US. It also appears to be retreating from Europe. Even in Japan, Sony's home turf, Xperia has tumbled out of the top five smartphone brands.
While it isn't helping them move numbers, but one thing Xperia phones have going for them is that they remain among the few ones still stubbornly committed to old-school quirks like headphone jacks and microSD cards. Plus Sony loads them with serious camera hardware drawn from their imaging chops. Now, most buyers couldn't care less about any of this, but the few who do treat Sony like a hero.
Xperia's sales have been so dismal that Sony has stopped manufacturing its own devices, resorting to outsourcing manufacturing entirely. Although, Tao's pledge that Sony will "continue to grow this [Xperia] business" suggests the company isn't ready to abandon its niche just yet, even if that niche keeps getting smaller.
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Sony's struggling Xperia phone division got a lifeline this week when CFO Lin Tao declared the brand "a very important business for us" during the company's financial briefing. The reassurance comes as many wondered if Sony might finally throw in the towel on smartphones after years of declining sales and market retreats. But the timing was telling, this pep talk came right after a particularly messy chapter for the brand that's been going on for a few years at this point. Sony had already killed its smaller Xperia 5 series two years ago, and there's no sign of a new budget Xperia 10 model coming. Its Xperia 1 VII, one of the priciest phones, costing around $1,500, has been lambast for being too expensive and hasn't helped Xperia much beyond getting some eyeballs. But the latest troubles took things to a new level. Sony had to halt sales after the phones started mysteriously shutting down and dying, forcing the company to issue replacements for defective models. "We are very sorry that we caused inconvenience to the users. I would like to apologise," Tao said during the briefing. So why stick around? Sony's keeping Xperia alive for reasons that go way beyond phone sales, though. "Communication technology is a very important technology that Sony has cultivated for a long time," Tao explained, noting that these innovations get used "in areas other than smartphones." That might explain why Xperia survives despite its market struggles. Sony long ago abandoned two of the largest smartphone markets, India and the US. It also appears to be retreating from Europe. Even in Japan, Sony's home turf, Xperia has tumbled out of the top five smartphone brands. While it isn't helping them move numbers, but one thing Xperia phones have going for them is that they remain among the few ones still stubbornly committed to old-school quirks like headphone jacks and microSD cards. Plus Sony loads them with serious camera hardware drawn from their imaging chops. Now, most buyers couldn't care less about any of this, but the few who do treat Sony like a hero. Xperia's sales have been so dismal that Sony has stopped manufacturing its own devices, resorting to outsourcing manufacturing entirely. Although, Tao's pledge that Sony will "continue to grow this [Xperia] business" suggests the company isn't ready to abandon its niche just yet, even if that niche keeps getting smaller. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
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