We all remember Sony for a number of innovative devices such as the Walkman, PlayStation, and CyberShot range of digital cameras, but nothing innovative has come out of Sony in the recent past. Their smartphone business isn't doing well, which has led them to redraw their plans.
Recently, the new chief of Sony's smartphone business has announced that they won't be releasing a new flagship smartphone every six months, as planned earlier. They will also be cutting down on the smartphone line-up, just like Samsung to increase focus on limited number of devices and improving them. At an investors conference, Sony's new mobile chief Hiroki Totoki said, "We're not aiming for size or market share but better profits."
According to a report from Bloomberg, Sony's Kaz Hirai (pictured above) has started building a new division with start-up styled Seed Acceleration Program, which allows employees to come up with innovative ideas and nurture them with funds from Sony. According to an internal report, Sony received 187 applications in the first round in June, out of which, 80 were accepted for the next stage. Apparently, a smartwatch will be one of the first products to come out of Sony's program. Unlike colour screen equipped smartwatches like the Sony SmartWatch 3 and the Apple Watch, it is believed that the watch will be made entirely out of e-paper, a display material similar to that of e-ink.
Sony was once famous for its CyberShot and Walkman branded mobile phones, but recently, their flagship products haven't been able to surprise us with their audio-visual performance. In spite of Sony's claims, their recent flagship smartphones like the Xperia Z2 and the Xperia Z3 haven't been able to defeat its competitors in the camera quality. After the entry of extreme value-for-money smartphone from Motorola, Asus, and Xiaomi, Sony's smartphone sales have declined.
