Year 2016 had Sony watching its mobile business very closely. The Japanese company said that it would be a make-or-break year. Looks like Sony made it alright as the company has unveiled several phones the past year. It put an end to the Xperia Z but replaced it with the successful Xperia X line. We’ve seen many phones already starting with the Sony Xperia XA, XA Ultra, X Performance, Xperia X, X Compact, XZ, XA1, and the XZ Premium.
We have no idea what will be the direction of Sony but according to its president, the smartphone era is about to end. Not anytime soon but in ten years when it will be overshadowed by virtual reality and other devices.
It’s quite a challenge to imagine life without smartphones but we’re seeing possibilities right now since wearables can now work on their own even without a partner smartphone. There’s also the smart home technology, voice assistants, and AI systems that can automate things for us.
Sony President Kazuo Hirai already said that they are no longer aiming to win in the mobile game but is already planning their next steps. Virtual reality is in the hat as evidenced by Sony’s introduction of the PlayStation VR. Hirai promised they will expand soon. This while looking at other developments in the smart home, the Internet of Things, in-ear devices, and more VR gadgets.
The Sony PlayStation VR is just one but the company definitely has an edge in the consumer electronics industry. Adding VR will make any device or service more engaging than ever whether for business or gaming. There’s still much work to be done in this technology but Sony is positive.
Hirai said:
“Once we’re able to establish VR as a great entertainment platform, first with game content, then the potential for other non-game content is obviously there. The fact that for ours, all you need is the PS4 and the PlayStation VR is a massive advantage for us, because we already have such a big install base.”
Sony has an early advantage over other OEMs because it already has “a lot of professional business groups that are involved trying to come up with professional cameras for VR content creation”. Sony also has Sony Pictures and Sony Music that can contribute on the content perspective.
Aside from the Playstation VR, there’s no other experimental product available yet. We’re guessing Sony is taking it slowly but surely. It already learned its many lessons from launching big products in the past such as a new PlayStation console but not ready for global launch.
VIA: Financial Review
