Posted by lemmy31
http://www.reuters.com/articl[....]sony-ceo-idUSKBN0KL27F20150112
Lets hope this isn't true it would be a real shame after the loss of Nokia.
It seems that with Samsung's current fall in Galaxy sales and terrible loss of profits , HTC's well documented fiscal troubles and this news about Sony only certain Chinese manufacturers can currently make any money out of Android.
[ This Message was edited by: lemmy31 on 2015-01-13 20:52 ]
Posted by Gitaroo
there are still money that can be made, they just need to go low profit margin strategy like xiaomi and grow its market share over time. I am not sure what average consumers in china think of sony as a brand since they are Japanese but never hear negative things from my chinese friends.
Posted by goldenface
It's hard to believe that Sony, with it's huge media and music heritage will wave goodbye to it's smartphone business. It's smartphones are it's main exposure of the Walkman brand. It would be almost like waving goodbye to Walkman too.
Posted by chunkybeats
If this was true, this would have a major effect on the phone industry. Sony have always been the innovators and trendsetters but just never got that marketing or production issues sorted.
I would be deeply gutted if they exited the market as since Ive been using Sony tech for a long time. Having made jumps to other phones/OS in the past, i was never happy with them and always came back to Sony because I knew I would be using something special and typical Sony. Thats what Sony need to do to convince consumers and if they can they will be force to be reckoned with.
If its just me that this reminds me of SE days when they were having problems and Sony bought out their share to resurrect the Xperia brand. I just hope that is not the case.
P.S. I could never go to Apple again, use Samsung or LG. Just all have their weaknesses that outweigh their positives and for me Sony has more positives than negatives to me.
Posted by moogoo
i would be devastated!!!!
if this happens.. i'd probably just get google nexus devices. sigh. would be a very very sad day.
what else does sony even make now? just audio stuff?
Posted by goldenface
Yup. Radios, cameras, wireless speakers etc. I think their Android TV's are pretty good. I hope they can turn things around.
Posted by hihihans
I find it hard to believe.
Posted by Bonovox
This is like what Sony did when they sold their laptop devision which Samsung also did. Maybe someone else might run things better?? Motorola are doing ok under Lenovo with decent phones and timely updates. If they sold it would it mean selling Sony brand names too or just mobile devision?? They won't be selling Walkman brands etc?? Maybe Google will buy them then spit the rest out selling it on to someone else with the bits they don't want.
Posted by pt020
Hard to believe,can't see any future for electronics company with no mobile devices.
Posted by emporium
On phonearena says one of options is getting partner. If e.g. foxcon can produce for apple and nokia, why should not for sony?
Posted by cu015170
Samsung should buy it...
Posted by ascariss
On 2015-01-13 23:54:24, goldenface wrote:
It's hard to believe that Sony, with it's huge media and music heritage will wave goodbye to it's smartphone business. It's smartphones are it's main exposure of the Walkman brand. It would be almost like waving goodbye to Walkman too.
Depends where you are located. In the USA sure most people know walkman through the phones. Probably the same for Europe, but I see people buying standalone walkmans as well, I am one of them, a small minority, but I try to collect as many as I can. The situation is the opposite in Japan for sure, where the Walkman is still selling quite well, might also be the case in some other Asian countries.
There were rumours on here and from other sources that the walkman would die but at this moment it is still going. Sure the lower and mid end range of walkmans have not been updated in europe or elsewhere, only Japan has the S-series for now, if this will cross over to europe, is anyone's guess.
Anyways, as pointed out above, this is similar to the situation with Vaio, which I hope is not the case, since we all know how that ended. For now we know a Z4 will be coming but a Z5?
Posted by Residentevil
I still have my Sony laptop, Sony Cameras and my trusted Z2. I can't live without my Sony electronics. I hope they stay alive with their mobile devision.
Posted by Supa_Fly
On 2015-02-21 06:27:46, Residentevil wrote:
I still have my Sony laptop, Sony Cameras and my trusted Z2. I can't live without my Sony electronics. I hope they stay alive with their mobile devision.
^ you've stated consumerism of the capitalists market glee perfectly!
Your Sony devices, neh your gadgets are not:
Next of Kin,
Your children,
nor your significant other,
Your gadgets do not:
Make you money your the family income to survive on (VERY few here can honestly make this claim),
provide nor feed you Food,
provide emotional nor intellectual support nor growth in either (may using smart internet or apps can intellectually),
So I highly can wager you WILL be able to survive without Sony electronics. I have been able to since the demise of the:
Original Sony Walkman WM-AF54 (just before Auto-Reverse debuted; if you have to Google this you're far too young)
V5g~~60_35.JPG)
The Original Sony 'collapsible' metal Cassette Player, WM-10
* NOTE: As a hint I was 10yrs old rocking this in the day when these where considered HOTTER than any other personal device EVER made! Men making $50K/yr riding a long commute here in Toronto on the TTC would accuse me in the summer that I stole it, being a young black kid, and I'd say "nope I didn't. My pops works at the airport and you damn fools that travel and not go back to pickup your luggage in two weeks, airport staff gets first dibs on anything within. So you're a fool not to claim your goods and it's all legal, so watch yo damn mouth!" This device wasn't even available in N. America for another 2yrs!!
[img]Sony WM-10 Stereo Cassette Player:
http://www.stereo2go.com/file[....]eImage/true/CIMG8061.JPG[/img]
[img]http://media.engadget.com/img/products/445/9jfy/9jfy.jpg
[/img]
With prestine headphones that looked so damn futuristic - when everyone else had cheap foam on their ears!
Or the MiniDisc error ... you know that disc shown in the Matrix when near wakes up to Trinity saying "Follow the Rabbit. Knock Knock" sells the data to that mesc-aline addict?
[ This Message was edited by: Supa_Fly on 2015-02-24 00:55 ]
Posted by hihihans
those were the days . Only two buttons. Play and ff. 
Posted by difenbaker
Sony aims to generate a combined EBIT of JPY247bn from the device, game and entertainment businesses in the financial year ending 31 March 2015 (FYE15). Struggling operations, such as TVs and mobile phones, if they remain within the group, will still have the potential to drag down overall profitability because they face intense competition from Korean and Chinese manufacturers and unfavourable exchange rate impacts. Nevertheless, Sony is separating its various electronics businesses to increase accountability and autonomy, and may consider selling or finding partners for struggling units, though management did not provide any specific timeframe for exiting the unprofitable businesses.
http://www.reuters.com/articl[....]/idUSFit91507720150224?rpc=401
... correct me if Im wrong. From how I understand that, if Sony finds a 'partner' to help it with its 'struggling units'... then they wont exit the mobile phone business?
cheers!
Posted by goldenface
From what I'm understanding, he wants to each vertical to become more accountable and they're considering spinning off those that can't stand on their own two feet.
They are only considering spinning off Xperia and this might have been said in order to appease their shareholders. No timeframe has been given. However, if they can keep a decent profit margin and focus on high end phones this might work.
The Z series seems to be striking a cord and selling well. Anything below the Z series is up against Xiaomi which will take no prisoners in it's rise to the top.
[ This Message was edited by: goldenface on 2015-02-24 16:24 ]
Posted by cu015170
http://www.forbes.com/sites/e[....]rrender-abandoning-the-xperia/
Posted by goldenface
According to the latest IDC figures for Europe Sony's shipments increased, even though the market shrunk overall making it the fourth biggest vendor in Europe, behind a contracting Microsoft.
If only they could repeat this stateside, it might be a different story.
[ This Message was edited by: goldenface on 2015-02-24 18:19 ]
Posted by difenbaker
Goodbye Sony mobile: here's why Xperia is facing extinction
Robert Zak
6 days ago
Sony is aiming to be 25 times more profitable by 2018, and a key part of that strategy could be to drop out of the smartphone game - leaving the Xperia family to seek a new home.
Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai predicts $4.2 billion growth for Sony within the next three years, saying that this will be driven by the company's strong-selling games division (led by the PlayStation 4) and cameras. When asked whether TVs and smartphones figured in this plan in a recent interview with Reuters, Hirai said Sony "would not rule out considering an exit strategy" for these divisions - the biggest hint yet that Sony Xperia could be no more.
This isn't the first time Sony has hinted it could sell off the Xperia family, with company officials saying in January that "no business is forever" when discussing the future of its mobile division. Sony has just reported its sixth net loss in seven years, and this has largely been attributed to its unprofitable smartphone division.
Sony's Xperia brand has always been in the shadow of smartphone industry leaders like Samsung and Apple, but is now facing even more pressure from high-quality, low-cost devices from growing Chinese manufacturers, OnePlus and Xiaomi.
There have been no suggestions yet as to who would swoop in to buy the Xperia brand if Sony were to pull out. But considering the critical success of devices such as the Xperia Z3 and the Xperia Z3 Compact - both of which we gave 5-star reviews - we expect there to be several companies out there who will see value in these solid devices.
from:
http://www.androidpit.com/xpe[....]le-sony-could-quit-smartphones
.........................................
Why Sony is exiting smartphone business
Sony's decision to no longer pursue sales growth in competitive smartphone business has left many disappointed. But, didn't it seem inevitable as their phones never got the traction like Samsung phones.
According to the company CEO Kazuo Hirai, Sony is no longer pursuing sales growth in highly competitive areas such as smartphones, but aims for 25-fold profit within three years from camera sensors and PlayStation gaming business. "The strategy starting from the next business year will be about generating profit and investing for growth," said Hirai, while not ruling out “considering an exit strategy”.
Sony's exit from the smartphone business will certainly leave a huge gap in the mobile phone industry, which has of late gotten more competitive, especially in terms of price. Back in India, Sony continued to face strong competition from the Korean giant Samsung, and then local brands such as Micromax and Karbonn. Entry of Chinese brands such as Xiaomi only made it tougher for Sony.
from:
http://www.digit.in/mobile-ph[....]smartphone-business-25334.html
.
[ This Message was edited by: difenbaker on 2015-02-25 06:42 ]
Posted by Tsepz_GP
Well this wouldn't and doesn't totally surprise me if it happens.
Sony haven't made any phone worth really talking about since the 1st Z and the Z4 seems to be a Z3 with a S810 chip and not much else and Lollipop seems to still not be out for any of Sony's phones if I'm not mistaken? Its a tough market for them, competitors at every corner, many of them having a ton of resources and aggressive marketing.
Apple, Samsung and LG are pushing hard and you now have Motorola with the backing of Lenovo expanding into more regions once again, there is HTC who seem to be doing nicely in a niche that Sony could have had and finally there is Huawei who seem to want to be the next Samsung, it all seems a bit much for Sony.
I wish them luck, but I won't miss them if they do exit, I miss what Sony Ericsson was.
Posted by goldenface
Sony: Mobile division is not being sold
Posted by Nitro Fan
On 2015-01-14 02:47:34, moogoo wrote:
i would be devastated!!!!
if this happens.. i'd probably just get google nexus devices. sigh. would be a very very sad day.
what else does sony even make now? just audio stuff?
I made the jump to Nexus and proper android two years ago (Phone and tablet) never looked back, fast devices sensible pricing and no manufacturer bloatware. I have never rated Sony as a sw developer every Sony camera/ movie camera i ever owned came with dreadful untested memory hogging sw. Sony's original android phone UI was full of fancy tricks and was all about form rather than function the problem was it did not work! They destroyed Symbian with a lack of quality development and poor testing ( I owned an example of the P series) Maybe things have improved but it would take a lot to get me to risk my money buying Sony ever again.