Sony is Considering Selling Its Mobile Division or Even Teaming Up with Someone Else

[cybertec69]

The problem is you need $$$ for marketing in the USA, something Sony is lacking lately, Sony has been bleeding $$ for years now.

 

[thc1967]

The quality of Sony products has been dropping like a rock for over a decade. There once was a time that I would buy Sony if Sony made the thing I wanted, even if the cost was significantly higher than the alternatives. Now, Sony means "DO NOT BUY!".

 

[PereDroid]

Actually I totally disagree there.
The first Experia Z tablet was far and away one of the best. The TV's are still very good. The new Z3 phones are great and I'd own one if it wasn't for the fact that I didn't like the harder edges and the button on the side.
I still blame much of it on marketing. No, they may not have had the budget... apparently they put all that money into PS4 advertising...

 

[cr6]

The quality of Sony products has been dropping like a rock for over a decade. Now, Sony means "DO NOT BUY!".

I wouldn't go that far. Sony still makes a quality product. Their latest phones are amazing, their SLR/DSLR cameras are great, the PS4 and their line of HDTVs are great.
The fact of the matter is, Sony has always been the more expensive brand in the mid level market and after the economy tanked, they never lowered their prices to be competitive with the huge influx of equally compatible products. "Brand loyalty" doesn't mean squat to the average consumer these days. Back when Sony meant something, they thrived on brand loyalty, it was their bread and butter so to speak.
Those days are long gone and unfortunately Sony refused to grow with the times by foolishly thinking they could survive on their name & reputation alone.
That didn't work out so well for them.


S5 tap'n

 

[grenefroggie]

Brand loyalty is still there. Asus makes a lot of money off me. It is there, but consumer electronics is a different arena. People don't want to pay for quality, they would rather get the best for cheap. There is always a sacrifice. If you get something for cheap, it will be lacking in some areas. Every market needs attention. Cheap stuff coming out of China makes for a generally crappy product.

Korean companies like LG and Samsung make decent products, but I always find something lacking either in features of performance. I am also what one could call a niche buyer. Most products I buy fit specific requirement and I will pay more for it.

But then Samsung comes out with some awesome products. I love my Samsung TVs, dishwasher and fridge. Not a huge fan of their phones anymore though.

It all depends on what you are looking for.

 

[PereDroid]

.
The fact of the matter is, Sony has always been the more expensive brand in the mid level market and after the economy tanked, they never lowered their prices to be competitive with the huge influx of equally compatible products.

That's a good point actually. When people asked me for laptop recommendations back when Sony was making Viaos I used to say "well, IBM makes a good one right now. Sony does too, but it'll cost you a few dollars more..."
And where are those Viaos today?

 

[kodiak799]

I love the Vaio...and, at the time, it was a pretty decent value and one of the few ultrabooks with some power.

And Samsung makes really nice tv's, every bit as good as Sony. But margins on tv's a razor thin and have been for a long time.

 

[dja1980]

I'm one of those people who bought EVERYTHING Sony because you could bet on whatever it was, it was going to be a quality product. Plus, they made almost everything in electronics, and I'll admit that I'm a bit OCD about all my brands being the same. Heck, my 15 year old cat is even named Sony! Unfortunately, I think Sony got so big that they felt that they could start using proprietary connectors and software to keep people buying their brand (if you keep it in the same family, everything works better together). This type of thinking really only works for companies that have huge market share (obviously, new or smaller companies could never get away with this). So for many, myself included, it became annoying to use Sony products when their software seemed glitchy, and their connectors weren't compatible with other "industry standard" products.

Sony also showed signs of being greedy with their technology... look at Betamax for example (superior to VHS, but they wouldn't allow other manufacturers to use their format, which ended up being the formats demise). Don't get me wrong, I still buy Sony when I can, but it hasn't been until recently that I've seen them start to conform to the industry rather than work against it. Look at the mobile phones... they use Android rather than developing their own OS. They've also taken the same stance with the 2015 Bravia TV... using Android TV. Unfortunately for Sony, I think that they are going to need to stay the course for awhile to clean up their reputation. As someone else put it... for many people, Sony became the brand NOT to buy. All I can say is that history has a tendency to repeat itself, and I see a lot of similarities between the path Sony was on, and the path Apple is currently on.

 

[FoxKat]

I'll admit that I'm a bit OCD about all my brands being the same. Heck, my 15 year old cat is even named Sony!

Funny!


Sent from my Droid Turbo on Tapatalk.

 

[grenefroggie]

Plus, they made almost everything in electronics, and I'll admit that I'm a bit OCD about all my brands being the same. Heck, my 15 year old cat is even named Sony!

My boss has a cat named Avaya. My co-worker has a cat named Asus.

I must admit, having all of your electronics under one brand makes life a little easier. I like logging in to my Samsung account and looking up warranty info on all of my devices.

 

[kodiak799]

. I like logging in to my Samsung account and looking up warranty info on all of my devices.

I like buying devices where I don't have to worry about warranty

 

[grenefroggie]

I like buying devices where I don't have to worry about warranty

Maybe five, ten, or fifteen years ago, that might not have been a problem. I don't mind shelling out lots of cash to buy a quality product, but inevitably an item will be DOA. Mechanical parts fail.

I agree with your point though. It is getting harder and harder to find products that fit in this category.

 

[cr6]

A device that doesn't require a warranty....what a concept! LOL


S5 tap'n

 

[kodiak799]

A device that doesn't require a warranty....what a concept! LOL


S5 tap'n

I don't buy warranties....and haven't needed one for any device in years. It's a sucker's bet.

 

[cr6]

Ahhhh....well there's a difference between warranty and insurance. Every new device comes with a 1 year limited warranty from the manufacturer. The separate insurance obviously protects you where the warranty doesn't.
Personally, I'm all for buying the extended insurance. I'd much rather pay 6 bucks a month and a 100 dollar deductible and get new (or refurbished in most cases) phone sent to me the next day. To me it's well worth the money. It's come in handy for me three times over the course of six years. Having your device replaced (no questions asked) whether it's water damage, cracked screen or stolen is important IMO. A "warranty" covers none of that.

S5 tap'n