In Sony's tranquil media oasis at IFA 2013, I was fortunate enough to sit down and have a chat with the company's president of mobile for Northwest Europe, Pierre Peron, and European marketing director Catherine Cherry.
A big part of Sony’s latest drive is that ‘One Sony’ branding we've been hearing and seeing so much about, and the company is really pushing the boat out here. Even the showroom at IFA 2013 is based around a large circular plinth in the centre, it’s stepped and intended to represent Sony’s round power button, according to one of the reps, which is an iconic symbol of the One Sony brand.
“The idea of One Sony really started 18 months ago,” said Peron, as I cradled an Xperia Z1, “we wanted to pull together the things which Sony is known for – digital imaging, mobile and gaming.”
“But it’s not just about bringing together the best from each branch,” he adds, “we want to offer a ‘best in class’ device for every category and for each of these devices to complement each other.”
That’s certainly true from what I saw at Sony’s stand, with everything from phones and tablets, to Ultra HD 4K televisions, sound systems, cameras and even a VR headset. Crucially, this is an ecosystem of products which all link together, and most of the time you can do it wirelessly via Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth or NFC.
Between this and Sony’s penchant for premium build quality, it occurs to me the company is bringing what seems like a very Apple style approach to the Android space – unswervingly about a particular look, feel and set of capabilities – and that’s something which has been long overdue. Sony has a very clear idea about its brand and what it wants "Sony" to mean to consumers.
I asked Peron about the Xperia Z1’s proportions and the design decisions which created them, noting that it is thicker and has a wider bezel than its predecessor, the Xperia Z.
More than happy to explain, Peron pointed out that the decisions to thicken the bezel and the overall phone thickness were both made for functionality purposes.
The bezel was widened to improve touch responsiveness. While Peron wasn’t specific about how this was achieved I can only assume (based on what industry people have told me before about how touch displays work) that there are more sensors around the display with the larger bezel than there otherwise would be if it was more like an edge-to-edge setup.
Likewise the overall device thickness is largely due to the use of one of Sony’s full-size digital camera lenses drafted across from its compact camera division – a 1 /2.3-inch, 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS back-illuminated sensor (BSI) with an aspheric Sony G lens.
I asked Peron if it has optical image stabilisation and he responded by telling me that it does, although I should note I haven’t seen any of Sony’s promotional material since confirming this.
I mention competing devices such as Nokia’s Lumia 1020 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, both of which are betting on big megapixel ratings and impressive zoom capabilities, though are bulking out in the process.
I ask how Sony plans to distinguish itself in the increasingly competitive premium camera phone space. Peron nods and smiles.
“We feel that with the thicker phones and lenses as you mention, they are forcing the consumer to make a concession,” he says, referring to the added mass.
“That’s not something we’re prepared to do, it doesn’t tie-in with the brand.”
It's at this point that it all makes sense to me.
Sony is aiming for a premium imaging experience, but although the company is prepared to make some small compromises on the device’s build in the cases mentioned above, it has too much interest in keeping a sleek design, as part of its brand identity, to go crazy with the camera.
It feels like I’m doing it a disservice to describe this as a “good enough” approach, but that’s not meant in a negative way at all.
I think Sony knows that if it wanted to it could go toe-to-toe with Nokia’s PureView tech with some beast of a sensor. But – and this is where I think it’s making some sensible moves – it would rather give consumers something more balanced: a slick aluminium exterior, a high-end processor and display and a camera experience that is excellent by current standards even if it’s not up there as a 41-megapixel behemoth.
I get the impression from speaking with Peron, that this moderate-yet-high-grade approach is at the heart of One Sony, and that’s tremendously encouraging thing from what I’ve seen so far.
Another factor is that there are always other options. IFA 2013 was also a public debut for the QX10 and QX100 clip-on lenses, and Sony sees no reason to add bulk to its flagship when it can offer an optional accessory to achieve similar results – again, one of the perks of having this cohesive device ecosystem which is so integral to the One Sony brand.
A cornerstone of Sony’s broader strategy is that it’s attempting to be inclusive rather than exclusive with its products. The clip-on lenses, for example, don’t just work with Sony handsets, they’ll also happily pair with any Android or iOS device, thus maximising the number of potential buyers.
The same is true of its wireless speakers and indeed Sony’s smartphones themselves will work with a wide range of third-party accessories. You’re never locked in or locked out of the Sony party and Peron pointed out that, wherever possible, Sony is using open, industry standard technologies to allow as much cross-compatibility as it can in both directions.
While all of this strikes a certain chord with me, it remains to be seen whether it can position Sony as a dominant force in the mobile space going forward.
Samsung, arugably its chief rival, has sheer volume and market saturation on its side.
Sony is a brand consumers are certainly aware of and it's never lost the reputation it garnered with TVs and stereos over the last 20-30 years, but it's still yet to channel this into a signficicant smartphone and tablet presence.
One Sony, then, appears to be a big play to make that happen. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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