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[Fezan]

Sony phones are beautiful, I wonder why they don't have a bigger userbase.

No US release just look its the 1st 4k phone and half of the tech and blogs don't even have hands on video. Even moto watch has more coverage than xperia z5 premium . Less marketing and some stupid design decisions e.g no 4gb ram in Z5 premium when every one else have and no 2k display . Also only 2gb ram in compact version

 

[neogaffer1]

No US release just look its the 1st 4k phone and half of the tech and blogs don't even have hands on video. Even moto watch has more coverage than xperia z5 premium . Less marketing and some stupid design decisions e.g no 4gb ram in Z5 premium when every one else have and no 2k display . Also only 2gb ram in compact version

also shit like this means that they could make the most perfect phone ever and it'll never really break into the mainstream:

Stupidity.

From a good source at Sony I have it that AT&T were willing to take the Z3 at near launch (early November) with T-Mobile (beginning October) and VZW (end October), but they wanted a special colour and to offer the option of 16GB and 32GB for $199/$249 with a two year deal. They were close to signing a deal when Japanese level management stepped in and said they felt it would be confusing for consumers (ignoring that Apple and Samsung do it quite successfully) and that they couldn't run a different production lines for 16GB/32GB variants of Black, White and the special colour that AT&T requested (metallic gold back with a white front iirc) without reducing the margin so the counter offer was 32GB and black, the same as what T-Mobile is getting with Copper at a later date with 32GB. AT&T declined.

If I was a senior manager at Sony I would basically be doing whatever it takes to get on three of the four major networks and then get the fourth as quickly as possible after that, then roll out lower priced devices on those networks afterwards once my central offering is proved successful and the brand was built out. I would also be pushing devices like the E3 and T3 on Boost mobile and local carriers as pre-paid with $149 and $249 prices, again to get the brand name out there among the local population who don't realise that Sony make smartphones. Finally I would have priced the Z3 Tablet Compact to sell at $269 and had a massive advertising campaign for it and the Z3 with celebrity endorsements and huge TV presence with adverts that make it very obvious what the phones are good at (battery, battery, battery) leveraging brands like Walkman, Cyber-shot and PlayStation which are already familiar to US comsumers.

If an outsider like me without all of the information can see it then I do wonder what goes on at SMC, the management is just absolutely fucking awful from what I have heard about them.



Artistic conflict with Avi Arad who is very big at SPE. If Sony had dumped Arad like Marvel wanted they would own it.

The thing is HTC, LG and Motorola bent over backwards and converted the carriers one by one over the years to get on their networks. Sony do not do whatever it takes to get it done. T-Mobile did the work for them, that's why the phones were so bloody late. They refused point blank to open up a CDMA testing group for VZW for two years and only changed that stance in May of this year. Masayoshi Son personally spoke to Kunimasa Suzuki to get a device for SoftBank in Japan which he said he would push on Sprint once the takeover was complete, Sony declined and said they would remain with their NTT partnership who then predictably sold Sony up the river a few months later and did a deal with Apple for the iPhone. Son signed a deal with Sharp and now their phones are being released on Sprint, the first weird Japanese devices to make it out of the country.

Sony Mobile management are a bunch of fools. The networks have no interest in carrying their devices and yet they try and act like Apple who command the attention of every carrier in the world. Sony as a brand is worthless outside of PlayStation and they need to come to terms with that and rebuild from zero, and in some areas less than zero where they are associated with poor value for money.

 

[Lone_Prodigy]

From bestbuy.com's site, search for "cell phones", select all 4 carriers:

Apple (66)
Samsung (100)
LG (31)
HTC (11)
Nokia (1)
Motorola (17)
BlackBerry (1)
Kyocera (3)
Microsoft (9)
Pantech (2)
Sharp (1)
Sony (1)

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

As an extremely happy owner of a Z3C guess I'll be upgrading to the Z5C so hard later this year. Sony make wonderful, beautifully engineered phones that are the best available IMO. As expected the Z5 series looks absolutely beautiful so I'm looking forward to upgrading when the time comes.

Do we have a projected release timeframe for this yet? Particularly in Europe?

 

[Pankratous]

Sony truly do make the most beautiful phones and these are no different. That white Z5P is fucking gorgeous.

I only upgraded to the Z3 a few months ago but I may have to bail out early for this.

 

[Caayn]

also shit like this means that they could make the most perfect phone ever and it'll never really break into the mainstream:

Providers in the US continue to baffle me. The second one provider here pulls crap like that it'll get dropped as fast as a rock. Living in a small country has its good sides.

 

[Wilester]

Why are the German prices £100-£150 cheaper than the UK ones?

 

[secretanchitman]

Really nice phones both looks and spec wise. Personally I would go for the Z5 Compact but too bad they will never make a CDMA version.

 

[neogaffer1]

From bestbuy.com's site, search for "cell phones", select all 4 carriers:

Apple (66)
Samsung (100)
LG (31)
HTC (11)
Nokia (1)
Motorola (17)
BlackBerry (1)
Kyocera (3)
Microsoft (9)
Pantech (2)
Sharp (1)
Sony (1)

and that's that one not z3 on vzw

 

[Servbot24]

If I weren't all in with Apple, this would be my phone. Looks really nice.

 

[Turbowaffles]

I'm sure this one won't fucking come to Sprint either, right?!

 

[shink]

Z5 looks good but unsure whether I'll be happy with a downgrade in screen size coming from the LG G3. The Z5P might be way outside my price range.

 

[Philippo]

Guys by the time the Z5C comes out, should i buy that or the Z3C (which by then i hope will have a price drop)?

 

[jonnyp]

holy shit people, just buy a case to protect your $500+ phones. ive had my z1c for close to 2 years and have dropped it a few times but the case protected it.

im disappointed z5c doesnt come in gold, otherwise the phone seems on point.

Eeeww, I won't be caught dead with a case on my phone.

 

[The Artisan]

I really think sony should just axe their mobile dept.

 

[Kagari]

I really think sony should just axe their mobile dept.

No they shouldn't. They have the best looking phone design right now.

 

[jonnyp]

I really think sony should just axe their mobile dept.

I think more people need to wake up and buy the best phones on the market instead.

 

[Fezan]

So i find it funny that i ready few previews about Xperia premium and many of them start with how bad Sony is doing in smartphone business and then waste a paragraph on how they dont need 4k display .

 

[Jazzy Network]

Speaking of which, wasn't Verizon going to release a Z4v?

 

[Saucycarpdog]

I'm puzzled as to why they just revealed their new lineup now of all times. They should have either waited a week or done it earlier since by next week most of the media will forget that these exist.

 

[Lone_Prodigy]

It's too bad the Sony Stores in Canada all closed. They sold unlocked phones and were a B&M presence for warranty/support. I've heard a lot of bad support stories.

 

[valeo]

Sony Xperia = the best phones out. Z2 is still going strong. So much better than my old piece of crap Samsung S4.

 

[-Deadpool-]

Amazing.

Missus' Z2 is out of contract Feb next year, so she's already said she'll be getting this.

My Z3 won't be until later in the year, but I'll definitely upgrade to the Z5.

Love my Z3. Sony phones are fantastic.

 

[howdyjacker]

I am all over the premium Z5 . From that screen resolution to the now exception not the norm sd card expandable memory to the camera to the front facing speakers and flash for front facing camera-

It's everything I've ever wanted.... Except no IR blaster is a major bummer and having a lanyard must be a cultural thing cuz that's not'murrica by any means.

 

[vivftp]

I am all over the premium Z5 . From that screen resolution to the now exception not the norm sd card expandable memory to the camera to the front facing speakers and flash for front facing camera-

It's everything I've ever wanted.... Except no IR blaster is a major bummer and having a lanyard must be a cultural thing cuz that's not'murrica by any means.

Whoa, didn't notice that. The source I got the specs from seems to be wrong. There's no front flash on any of these phones.

 

[DirtyManos]

God I want that chrome finish.

And it's funny because chrome to me, on anything, just looks garish and gaudy. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

But mobile phone design has become so boring to me, that walking around with that chrome/mirrior finish or whatever, just looks so cool.

Unfortunately I don't want it on a phone that big, guess I'll have to wait s'more to upgrade my imported Z2.

 

[The Artisan]

No they shouldn't. They have the best looking phone design right now.

but is it really helping them though?

I think more people need to wake up and buy the best phones on the market instead.

it hasn't worked for them so far, so i think those people are gonna stay sleeping. i wish they'd wake up and buy the best tvs, though.

 

[TTOOLL]

I'm impressed. Really.

 

[Anko]

Definitely my next phone. I just hope it releases in Asia soon. Ever since my Note 2 died, I've been using the S3 and I hate it.

 

[HideyoshiJP]

Maaan. I just got my Z3 at the beginning of the year. I can't be spending money on one of these. Oh well, they don't have the Z5 Premium in green anyway, but I'm glad to see it's hanging around on the mainline Z phone.
I do hope Sony markets this in the US, and gets it on AT&T or another big carrier. I'm on T-Mobile, so it doesn't matter to me, but I'd like them to get decent exposure. I was surprised to see it on the main Bing page in their "popular searches" section.
Oh well, my sexy Z3 will do me fine for a while. I'll be ready for the Z6 or Z7.

 

[jonnyp]

but is it really helping them though?
it hasn't worked for them so far, so i think those people are gonna stay sleeping. i wish they'd wake up and buy the best tvs, though.

It's a shame really but the Z5 Premium shall be mine.

I only buy Sony TVs too, wish they would get on the OLED train though and source panels from LG.

 

[longdi]

Z2 user here, with latest official 5.1.1, performance and battery life are holdings up strongly. It seems Sony mobile peaked with Z3.

The new series continue to make baffling choices and also contrary to what Sony promised about reducing the number of flagship launch per year.

It's like a whole new clueless team is running Sony mobile this year. Did the Z2/3 team quit or got fired?

 

[jey_16]

they needed more design innovation, any person who walks into a store is going to basically see the exact same Xperia that has been released in the recent past

since 2013, we have had the Xperia Z, Z1, Z2, Z3, Z3+/Z4 and now Z5

 

[darkwing]

they needed more design innovation, any person who walks into a store is going to basically see the exact same Xperia that has been released in the recent past

since 2013, we have had the Xperia Z, Z1, Z2, Z3, Z3+/Z4 and now Z5

omnibalance philosophy

 

[Nightengale]

Wait, Z5C has an aluminium band?

 

[Namikaze]

Would it be possible to import this from Japan and use it on T mobile?

 

[The Artisan]

It's a shame really but the Z5 Premium shall be mine.

I only buy Sony TVs too, wish they would get on the OLED train though and source panels from LG.

i'm no phone wiz but are sony's phones generally better than samsung's lg's? if so, why are they failing so hard? are they just way more expensive?

 

[Elitist1945]

Holy shit that chrome Z5 is amazing. As much as I want it, I still feel like my Z3 is one of best phones available right now.

 

[jey_16]

i'm no phone wiz but are sony's phones generally better than samsung's lg's? if so, why are they failing so hard? are they just way more expensive?

there is really not much difference between the top android phones, they all have great performance, decent cameras and will last a day with normal use

the sales just come down to design and marketing

 

[SpecX]

Fuck Verizon, get off your ass and get on board with Sony to bring this to your network. I'm sick of the limited choices and no I will not buy an iPhone.

 

[The Artisan]

there is really not much difference between the top android phones, they all have great performance, decent cameras and will last a day with normal use

the sales just come down to design and marketing

but samsung (and I guess lg) have been dominating on the android side for years. no one's cared for sony's phones, really. at least that's largely what it seems.

 

[dallow_bg]

These are the only phones that make me wish I liked Android.

 

[Deleted member 20920]

but samsung (and I guess lg) have been dominating on the android side for years. no one's cared for sony's phones, really. at least that's largely what it seems.

Seems to be down to bad marketing. And bad business moves like not having more carriers having their phones. Or long delays in some countries, making them sort of obsolete when they finally launch.

I'm ready for a Z5 or a premium model. Hope my carrier here brings both. The question is whether I should just wait because Sony phones don't seem to see that well and sometimes there might be good deals. My Z1 is ready for retirement.

 

[2real4tv]

Would love to get Z5 premium but I bet won't come to US Sprint.

 

[OniBaka]

Just in time, my Lumia 1020 power button just broke after 2 years.
Now to wait for release date in Australia.

 

[aygomyownroad]

My Z cracked on numerous occasions. Very poor when it came to the glass on the screen, also the charger point broke as well meaning I could only charge it wirelessly.

The phones look amazing really like the mini but after the time I had with the Z I think I will stay clear of Sony phones for a while.

 

[jey_16]

wait for Z6 with the SD820

 

[br0ken_shad0w]

Fuck Verizon, get off your ass and get on board with Sony to bring this to your network. I'm sick of the limited choices and no I will not buy an iPhone.

The last two models were on Verizon, but you'd just get one size that's a red -headed stepchild model.

 

[Maximo]

Dude all carriers put their shitty logos on the back of Xperias in the US? Man that looks ugly.

 

[hodayathink]

i'm no phone wiz but are sony's phones generally better than samsung's lg's? if so, why are they failing so hard? are they just way more expensive?

Part of it is not being on every carrier (a REALLY dumb move on Sony's part) and part of it is marketing. Samsung spent a TON of money on marketing to make the Galaxy series what it is, and Sony just doesn't want to make that sort of investment (if they even have the ability to).