OPINION : Sony is staying the course with Android phone after contract a fresh multi - year C.P.U. agreement with Qualcomm . Now it ’s time for Sony to get serious about actually trade some of them .
Despite speculation the Xperia argument of Android smartphones might be reaching the end of its mortal coil – given the limited adoption and high-pitched prices compared to challenger – Sony will be making Snapdragon - power Android phones for years to come .
We welcome this news . TheSony Xperia 1 Vpowered by the most recentSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platformis an absolutely brilliant Android phone that ’s up there with the best of them . We ’re now potential to see the 6th version of that twist power by Qualcomm ’s next flagship C.P.U. too . dependable news .
A jointpress releasefrom the two companies reads : “ Qualcomm Technologies , Inc. announced that it has reach out its collaboration with Snapdragon platforms powering Sony ’s future smartphones . The company concur to work together on the next generations of premium , high- , and mid - tier up smartphones . ”
All estimable right ? Well not really . Sony can pour everything – its expertise in display and tv camera technology , its industrial design nous , it ’s decades of audio experience – into creating a brilliant smartphone package , but the fact is , very few people are buy them .
The Sony Xperia 1 V , for instance , receive a 4.5 - star score in our limited review in the first place this month . Our referee Alan Martin pronounce it “ barely puts a foot wrong . ” Yet it ’s barely a radar target on the radar , struggle to notch even a percentage point of market share in most territory where it betray phones . It ’s way behind the identikit Taiwanese manufacturers like Oppo and OnePlus that , to be forthright , carry absolutely none of Sony ’s prestige .
Sony attempts to wow us with spec by cramming its very good applied science into the French telephone and expecting regular consumer to look at the spec tack and reach for their billfold . It ’s not enough . It might work for TVs where hoi polloi have a specific idea of on the button what they require , but it is n’t work on enough people in this kingdom .
Our reader concluded : “ The Sony Xperia 1 V is a superb phone that hardly arrange a human foot wrong . It ’s lightning - fast with a groovy screen , enviable assault and battery lifespan and a superb television camera raiment . You might quibble with the pattern , which remains an acquired taste , but it does everything exceptionally .
“ The price , however , remain so out of kilter with the market place and Sony ’s minnow - same status in it that you ca n’t envisage it give the Apples , Samsungs and Xiaomis of this world much cause for concern . ”
That Walkman spirit
Therein lies the problem . Sony is making brilliant devices , but it must find a fashion to make them feel relevant once again . The party needs to somehow rediscover the mass appeal it found with the Walkman personal cassette player all those year ago , and that it still enjoys today with the PlayStation brand .
Easier order than done . How much mileage is there in the smartphone var. agent these 24-hour interval anyway ? Is there a Walkman minute or a PlayStation moment even out there ?
But to start with , Sony could price it ’s handsets a little more aggressively to at least get back in the conversation with mainstream smartphone owners .
It ’s clip for Sony to match people where they ’re at and stop tear Apple what does for a top iPhone or Samsung does for a flagship Galaxy . Be unforced to take a hit to get back in the secret plan .
Secondly , Sony could tilt into what it does well even more . For example , there ’s no intellect the flavor of the PlayStation ‘ Project Q ’ handheld ca n’t be transitioned into a smartphone .
To go even farther , Sony is big into high - destruction audio too and with Spotify about to unite the stream services offer HiFi streaming , there ’s loads Sony could do here too . The Xperia 1 V is already arguably the best in the business organisation with its 3.5 millimetre diddlysquat , as well as support for high resolving power audio over wired and wireless connections .
There ’s a refresh appetence among consumers for audio quality beyond the convenience of streaming and true wireless buds . hollo that from the absolute rooftop and sell people on enjoying sound quality you just ca n’t on competing devices .
Go to township on what those photographic camera can do . perdition , half the industry uses the sensors you make , it ’s about meter you draw the benefit of that before they do . Perhaps the next time you have a breakthrough , debut it on your own phones first !
Sony must couple its technological expertise for create brilliant equipment with something that enamour the vision of consumer once again . Otherwise why keep go ? Why keep building smartphones ?
