Exclusive Interview – Sony: “Brazil is the focus of the company”

A Sony Mobile invited the showmetech for an exclusive interview with the Joe Takata, the division's product manager. At a lunch with a very relaxed atmosphere, we were able to talk about the Japanese company's 2013 portfolio. Subjects such as the market, releases, updates and even some glitches in smartphones were discussed.

During the interview, what I could notice is that the official sponsor of the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup, started the year determined to gain a share in the iPhone and Galaxy market (#ogigantecordou ?). Check out in our article what Sony already made and plans to secure your spot in the sun.

Who is Sony in the market?

A Sony is a Japanese company present in the market for 67 years and an important manufacturer of electronic equipment. Its catalog is quite varied and goes from televisions to medical equipment, through headphones and computers.

The company entered the cellphone market in a partnership with Ericsson, forming Sony Ericsson. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the marriage between the two giants did not work out and in February 2012, the Sony bought Ericsson's share and turned S.

Second Joe Takata, this name change was extremely important for the company's growth, as the brand was already consolidated and this aroused more confidence in users and an expectation of quality products. And, let's face it, the change came at a good time, because the Sony Ericsson had been making losses for many years, not to mention the huge list of customer complaints.

After the “terminating”, the Sony continued using the line Xperia, but with a different approach. Series devices were not well received in the past, but now they have a prominent place in the national and international markets (and press).

2013 portfolio

Currently in Brazil, the Japanese company has 5 devices in its 2013 portfolio (so far), compared to 4 last year. The difference in strategy is notable. (www.losaltosresort.com) According to Takata, sales of Sony tripled in April and May 2013, compared to the same period last year. This occurred after the release of two entry models Xperia J (see our review here) And Xperia E Dual (see our review here), in February.

O Xperia ZQ (see our review here), announced at CES 2013, also arrived to boost company sales. Launched in Brazil in May, the top of the line sold out in pre-sales in just 24 hours. An incredible return from consumers to a company that is recovering from a turbulent period.

Recently, they announced the Xperia L, a mid-end focused on the best camera experience, and the Xperia SP, a smartphone with 4G and top-of-the-line settings, but at an affordable price.

With the exception of Xperia L, I had the opportunity to get to know all the other smartphones in the 2013 line and a striking feature among them is the sophisticated design. I never get tired of praising. including the own Sony sees this as a market differentiator. Takata says that to win in a market for Galaxys, the Japanese has produced high quality products (even entry-level models), using premium materials over plastic and valuing small details, such as the notification LEDs and power button. (centralized on the side of the device and with a differentiated design).

In addition to beautiful models, the Sony brings to the consumer all its market experience of cameras, televisions and even games for their cell phones. The Japanese company wants to make life easier for the user and ensure simple connectivity, where the smartphone would be the central point of content. For this, the company has invested heavily in technology. One Touch, which uses NFC (Near Field Communication) as an auxiliary, that is, the connection is established only by touching one device to another. THE Sony currently has 60 products with this function (from televisions to headphones).

sold. And now? How to retain the user?

After sales. One of the terms widely used today and that companies have been very concerned about. That's because with social networks, a customer's complaint can reach astronomical levels, which can affect the future of the company. THE Sony cares about its image built up over these 67 years and is working hard in this area.

When questioning Takata about the device update policy, I was informed that the Sony intends to update all the devices of the 2013 line, including the entry models (Xperia J e Xperia E dual have already received updates). “Sony has the least fragmentation [outdated versions of Android] compared to its competitors,” he adds.

The 2012 models, Xperia S, Xperia P e Xperia go already received Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) recently.

The update to Android 4.2.2 from Xperia ZQ, leaked this week, there is still no arrival date in Brazil. But the Sony informed that an update is planned for the device in August, but they still do not have a detailed specification to disclose.

According to Takata, the device software update process between manufacturers and operators involves detailed compatibility testing. Operators do several quality experiments on their network before releasing the update. While it's a good concern, we've been anxiously awaiting updates that are already out there.

A common question among owners of Xperia Z e Xperia ZQ is whether the smartphone's Wi-Fi problem can be solved with just a software update (during our review, we contacted support and were informed that the devices' antenna would be “sensitive”). We were informed that there is an update for international models, still being tested for the Brazilian model, which slightly improves wifi performance (is this the one that will be launched in August?).

What can we expect?

Due to the cups in Brazil, we only have to gain from the partnership Sony and FIFA. The Japanese informed that “Brazil is the focus of the company”. Not just in terms of products, but also in event engagement. This technology and football link came to benefit Tupiniquin consumers, increasing interactivity in all areas of the company's operations.

For the remainder of 2013, we can expect the newly released phablet Xperia Z Ultra (no arrival date yet) and the tablet Xperia Z (will be released in the next quarter). I asked about the arrival of Xperia Z and Sony stand firm and will not launch the model in Brazil (a pity). O Xperia C, a dual-chip smartphone with high-end configurations, announced this week for the Chinese market, should also not land here.

We can still expect much more from Sony. According to Takata, the company is studying and investing in more accessories for the devices, but we still don't have details, as it is confidential information. And it is possible that the portfolio will increase even more until the end of the year (including colored devices - in addition to the black and white versions), ensuring that more people, of different purchasing power, have access to the company's technologies.

On behalf of the team at showmetech, Thanks to Sony for their trust and for providing a moment of approximation that will certainly generate many fruits in the future.

We are also grateful to the community participants DroidBr who sent their questions. We hope to have met your expectations.