Sony Mobile may be dropping its ‘Compact’ range of Xperia smartphones according to a report from Digital Trends. The bombshell comes from an interview with Don Mesa, Sony Mobile’s Vice President of Marketing, citing that consumers want bigger, rather than smaller displays. Here’s what he had to say:
“We stuck with Compact for a very long time, because of the ease of use. There’s always room for different sizes, but people want a lot more surface area for their content now,” said Mesa.
This would be a massive shame if true. Sony Mobile has almost carved a niche if you were looking for a flagship Android experience in a more pocketable form factor. These days, there are not too many options to turn to for a compact Android flagship.
Other interesting titbits from the interview, include news of a management reshuffle, with Kimio Maki heading up mobile development, moving from Sony’s successful camera division. “We’ve been undergoing a lot of change. Every component of our business has been touched,” said Mesa.
He also announced that Sony will be showing products at the MWC tradeshow in Barcelona, with products that have much better cameras – something that Sony has underperformed with against the competition.
“We are going to be announcing products at MWC. What we present there will be a first step showing the direction we are going. We’re hoping to deliver a much better camera experience. What consumers can expect from us is a more true Sony, with greater convergence of content and device. And hopefully we can surprise a few people,” Mesa said.
It also sounds like a 5G smartphone might not arrive until later in the year – perhaps at IFA in September. “5G is a challenge. Some people may be holding off buying a new device because they’re waiting for it. But we don’t want to rush and put the cart before the horse — the experience has to be good.”
Via Digital Trends.
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