| Author |
SONY XPERIA Rumors 2014 |
Smaug
Joined: Feb 23, 2014
Posts: 48
PM |
I for one don't mind the discussion between Wintermute and Amirprog. This is a forum for people who share a common interest in Xperia products, after all. Valid points were raised by both. And Amirprog, your posts didn't appear rude to me.
The XZU is unlikely to have been designed to sell in high numbers. This doesn't indicate failure. Of course Sony wants to recoup investment, but logic suggests the Ultra was a brand complementer, not a sales pusher. Not every product is designed to sell millions. The Bravia X9 TV is much the same, as it represents the future. If Sony does roll out an Ultra 2, then their internal feedback suggests upside regardless of actual XZU sales.
Wintermute does raise a point over next Ultra. It doesn't necessarily confirm a jump to 7" - that is a massive .56" increase, whereas previous increases tend to be more incremental to allow existing customers to adjust. Also, Sony is likely limited by what their suppliers (JDI, AUO etc) can produce. They can't simply conjure a size where one doesn't exist since their panels are outsourced. As the Ultra is relatively niche, I would be surprised if Sony was able to push for a custom-made panel. They may be limited to "off the shelf" components, but this is pure speculation on my part.
I side with Ricky D regarding the definition of a flagship. True, Wintermute, the term didn't exist a few years ago. If we look to history, flagships referred to a single commanding vessel in a naval fleet. It wasn't necessarily the largest or even the newest. In business, it is generally regarded as the most prominent or expensive product. For Sony: the XZ2.
On a side note, I saw someone operating a DJI Phantom drone in Hyde Park the other day. Pairing the controller to a comparatively tiny iPhone 5 hardly does justice. A slim phone with an oversized screen (like, say, the Ultra?) would be a perfect fit. There are some circumstances where an 6.4" - 7" phablet is ideal (watching media on flights etc). How to market and clearly define the value proposition of such a device is, as Amirprog noted, the challenge. | |
|
itsjustJOH
Joined: Jul 23, 2012
Posts: > 500
PM |
On 2014-03-24 19:21:53, Smaug wrote:
I for one don't mind the discussion between Wintermute and Amirprog. This is a forum for people who share a common interest in Xperia products, after all. Valid points were raised by both. And Amirprog, your posts didn't appear rude to me.
Ho hey, didn't say it ain't allowed here.
|
amirprog
Joined: Aug 22, 2013
Posts: > 500
From: Israel
PM |
@Smaug
agreed.
Wintermute could be right. i never excluded it, but i think that if you ask z ultra users most would say that the display is big enough. Ricky D is one. he seems to be satisfied with the size as it's still pocketable and big enough to make difference. second thing, i made my assumption of 7" by looking at JDI website display list. around phablet size, they have 5.9" and 7". i know they can make modified size for sony, but Z2 and Z1 compact has the displays on that list so i could be right also. i agree, 5.9" and 7" are "off the shelf" and also 6.2" QHD exists but i doubt that sony will use QHD panels in 2014 because in my opinion, the hardware and battery are not strong enough to carry it.
fair enough.
totally a challenge.
[ This Message was edited by: amirprog on 2014-03-24 18:59 ] |
Smaug
Joined: Feb 23, 2014
Posts: 48
PM |
@amriprog
Interesting... A 6.2" QHD panel coupled with Sony's latest screen tech would make great headline specs for a pocketable phablet. But you are right: without the battery to hold it up, all Sony would do is exchange one tradeoff for another. Plus, it hardly helps the "exactly where is this positioned?" conundrum of the original ZU.
Such a screen size decrease also contradicts what Randomuser suggests and I have little reason to doubt him. Plus, if "thinness is in" for Sony, then we can rule out an increase in thickness to accommodate a larger battery.
The T2 Ultra sports a 13MP camera w/flash so we can probably add that to a potential Z2 Ultra. It would be odd for a new Z Ultra to have lower specs than the T2.
I faintly recall an Xperia Arc design being mentioned last year but was quickly shot down. Now it has raised its head again. Any thoughts on a Z2 Ultra with a glass Arc design? 
(Not that I'm suggesting the next Ultra will have anything other than Omni-balance. If the Z3 is truly just an incremental update, introducing a new design language then would help grab attention) |
amirprog
Joined: Aug 22, 2013
Posts: > 500
From: Israel
PM |
@Smaug
spot on! (agreed) 
my time to upgrade will be around Z3 and Z4 but i'm really curious to know where is sony going with the ultra. if they go in the "flagship" footsteps then it will get my attention also.
for arc design, i hope that sony can make it with none plastic material, and if plastic then not the one that arc/arc s had. anyway, should be awesome design nonetheless like only sony knows. 
|
Wintermute
Joined: Jan 11, 2014
Posts: 86
PM |
On 2014-03-24 19:21:53, Smaug wrote:I side with Ricky D regarding the definition of a flagship. True, Wintermute, the term didn't exist a few years ago. If we look to history, flagships referred to a single commanding vessel in a naval fleet. It wasn't necessarily the largest or even the newest. In business, it is generally regarded as the most prominent or expensive product. For Sony: the XZ2.
Actually, if you want to go by the original definition, the "flagship" was whatever ship carried the admiral, the flag officer. |
Xajel
Joined: Jun 18, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Bahrain
PM |
Interesting infography,
Click for the full size...
Source
|
amirprog
Joined: Aug 22, 2013
Posts: > 500
From: Israel
PM |
@Xajel
interesting.
i think that it's too early to judge sony since they just return back with the z. i think that more people start to like sony phones again especially with the Z2, but it will be a very slow progress. up to a few years ago every third person i saw in the street carried SE phone. now it's a rare thing. half got iphone and the other half got galaxy. no wonder. the products are decent and samsung is marketing their phones everywhere here. apple marketing is not strong here but it seems that they don't need any marketing - apple name was always related with high quality products here. sony only market their flagships here once a year in tv commercial. the rest of the marketing is mainly done online on facebook, etc. it's very small market here for sony to invest in more but it shows the dominance of samsung and apple.
[ This Message was edited by: amirprog on 2014-03-25 08:06 ] |
winnerzero
Joined: Dec 09, 2009
Posts: 187
PM |
Is there any release date/timeframe for z ultra successor? Will this timeframe blend in nicely w snapdragon 805 release? I think it would be awesome if so...
If its true that xperia will never see a dedicated audio chip then I think thats a bit sad...because of dwindling Walkman sales, I would have thought this was a no brainer... |
-XYZ
Joined: Jul 26, 2012
Posts: > 500
PM |
When exactly is the Z2 going to be launched? And when are the review embargoes going to be lifted....?
I have heard about potential delays due to manufacturing issues, but if they don't get the Z2 out there and lift the embargoes, the HTC could end up consuming sales.
Once the GS5 comes out, nobody really stands a chance, so HTC's lead in mindshare, will put the Z2 at a disadvantage....I'm pretty sure the only reason the original Z did so well, was because it came out weeks before the GS4 and the One (M7)...... |
FMW300
Joined: Aug 06, 2007
Posts: 277
PM |
What I don't understand is the fact that Sony makes some incredible, very competitive phones now. Yet, they still don't seem to be selling in numbers anywhere near to Samsung's. From the Z onward, Sony's handsets have been praised for being up-to-par and even better than some of the competition (despite having certain minor flaws as all handsets will have). So why don't phones like the Z1, ZR, SP, M, L etc sell a few million each? And why don't the US operators pick up many of these exceptional handsets, because they sell lots of mid-range phones too? 
T230 > W300 > W890 > W705 > Live > Xperia T > Xperia Z2a > Xperia X > Xperia XZ2 |
-XYZ
Joined: Jul 26, 2012
Posts: > 500
PM |
Simple answer is marketing.
I shouldn't have to explain why, it's more or less common sense. |
itsjustJOH
Joined: Jul 23, 2012
Posts: > 500
PM |
^Yep. And I think the only Sony phone that is on par with the other flagships is the Z2. Z and Z1 were still behind the competition.
|
AbhiD999
Joined: Oct 28, 2012
Posts: 215
PM |
On 2014-03-26 18:05:31, itsjustJOH wrote:
^Yep. And I think the only Sony phone that is on par with the other flagships is the Z2. Z and Z1 were still behind the competition.
With Z1 itself Sony was ahead of competition. Except of a screen that was inferior in terms of viewing angles, Z1 was simply miles ahead than competition in everything !
And Z2 is on par with competition ? ROFL !!!
There is not even a single device in market that can stand up to Xperia Z2 . |
Wintermute
Joined: Jan 11, 2014
Posts: 86
PM |
On 2014-03-26 17:03:45, FMW300 wrote:
What I don't understand is the fact that Sony makes some incredible, very competitive phones now. Yet, they still don't seem to be selling in numbers anywhere near to Samsung's. From the Z onward, Sony's handsets have been praised for being up-to-par and even better than some of the competition (despite having certain minor flaws as all handsets will have). So why don't phones like the Z1, ZR, SP, M, L etc sell a few million each? And why don't the US operators pick up many of these exceptional handsets, because they sell lots of mid-range phones too?
Besides marketing, a great deal of it, I think, is inertia. What I mean is that many industries, especially those with high barriers to entry, tend to end up revolving around two or three main players. The introduction of the original iPhone in 2007 essentially invented the smartphone market. It was the only product of its type, and so there was still room for an alternative. Fast forward 3 or 4 years later, and Android had become a pretty credible alternative to iOS and was widely used. Hence there was just no more room in the market for an "unneeded" third option, and Windows Phone 7, even though it was more or less as good as the other two (except in terms of apps), floundered. Fast forward another year or so, and Samsung had broken out of the Android pack and essentially put down its competitors. Now, for the most part, people either use iOS or Android. They either use Apple or Samsung. They are entrenched, and when people upgrade, they stay with the same brand.
What I'm saying is that at the beginning of the "musical chairs" round, there were two seats open, and they were grabbed early by Apple and Samsung, before anyone else even noticed the music was playing. At this point, it doesn't matter if another product is better--there are just no more seats left. Of course it is possible to grab market share from competitors, but it will be much more difficult for Sony now than it would have been 4 or 5 years ago.
[ This Message was edited by: Wintermute on 2014-03-27 04:57 ] | |
|
Access the forum with a mobile phone via esato.mobi
|
Posted: 2014-03-24 19:21
