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After reading the same repeated cries time and again regarding Sony's dual flagship strategy, it's time to help shed some light on Sony's strategy. As always, we are never 100% sure what Sony is up to and why, but understanding the wider context can be... enlightening.

Last year the AFR published an article on Sony, and more specifically, Japan's "fad-loving consumers". A slightly harsh choice of words, but accurate for those of us who have lived in Japan. The (now old) article can be found here:

http://www.afr.com/p/technology/japan_fad_loving_consumers_threaten_UYtA3HB4tg4uzLidkfctjM

In short, Sony is effectively dictated to by Japanese phone carriers and the constant demand for updated models. After just 3 months of the XZ going on sale: “It’s time for a new model,” said Mai Kariya, a DoCoMo representative in Tokyo. “We’re finished with the Xperia Z, and now focusing on the Xperia A.”

The same story could be had for the Z1, Z2, eventual Z3 etc. Key excerpts:

"As Sony banks on smartphones to turn around its struggling electronics business, it faces an increasingly bothersome obstacle at home: the demands of Japan’s powerful cellphone carriers, which remain obsessed with constant model updates. For years, Japan’s three largest mobile network companies have pressed phone makers to update their handsets every three or four months, providing Japanese consumers a dazzling array of newfangled phones and
features each season."

"The fast-paced cycle is commonplace in Japanese marketing. Manufacturers deliver short runs of seasonal products to create buzz.... Phone manufacturers in the country have found it impossible to achieve the economies of scale that would justify the high development costs and the slim profit margins."

"If Sony can score more successes overseas and gain market share there, it could start shifting the lopsided power dynamics between Japan’s carriers and handset makers, analysts say."

We know Japan is one of Sony's largest single markets (the EU not withstanding). It clearly plays an important factor in the Xperia model strategy; Sony cannot afford to ignore the whims of that market's particular demands. However, as Sony pursues overseas sales and lessens the dependence on its home market, we may yet see a change in the future.

tl;dr summary: Don't blame Sony for constant model updates. Blame Japanese consumers and mobile carriers.
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Posted: 2014-02-23 21:40:53
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^
Sorry bro you made your comment to specific to one country,,its worldwide market now,not limited to one country> Sony is blended with all people who wants a premium design.

I am not talking against your comment,but I feel its unacceptable.
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Posted: 2014-02-23 22:00:50
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It's as good an explanation as any. The Japanese operators are very powerful, DoCoMo is huge.
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Posted: 2014-02-23 22:14:19
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he focused his speech on Japan to explain the need for Sony to use this kind of release schedule...
I found the article really interesting and probably it's really the reason...
I'm not sure if the right choiche is to release a single or double flagship a year, the only thing I can say is that being one or two flagship Sony should release "the Best"... not rushed products... this is the only problem...
but even there... why Z1 has "not perfect" display? was this the way to finish the Z display that remained? why is its processing algorythm so aggressive? to defend the Cybershot realm?
We should know the real reason behind this kind of choiche before speaking.. but only Kaz know this info

Post Scrittum
BTW how much time before the Sony Conference?

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Posted: 2014-02-23 22:15:58
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@Smaug
Thanks for shedding a light on this, but it's not "cries", it's just legitimate criticism. i hope that sony's goal is one flagship per year. i'm curious about tomorrow's announcements as anyone here.
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Posted: 2014-02-23 22:22:49
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@CrowmedAkuma

9h36 min left, if I'm right.

Too bad the conference will be at 4:30am for me... And, I have a whole day at school (7 am to 6 pm) without a good Internet connection to follow the news. So, yeah, after I come home, after over 14 hours, I'm going to have to read A LOT of things. Of course, I can see bits here and there with my daily 10 to 30 Mb of data, but not much...

Maybe I can download some pages and read them offline before leaving home?
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Posted: 2014-02-23 22:57:34
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In some aspects yes, but also no.

Yes, the mobile market *appears* largely a worldwide market. Consumers often prefer a premium design (not forgetting regions where feature phones still dominate); something we can all agree Sony is famed for.

This does not mean Sony is free to appeal to the widest common denominator. They do have a certain reliance on their (large) home market and currently cannot afford to ignore it due to financial constraints. My assertion is backed by Sony's actual product development strategy: continued releases of updated models every 4 - 5 months in Japan. It is vexing to complain about rolling Xperia updates and then claim a worldwide market with identical demands. To do so implies Sony is ignoring what every consumer in the world (apparently) wants.

I, for one, do not believe a company as experienced as Sony is that ignorant.

Japanese consumer demands can be very different to the rest of the world. This is not a criticism; many countries have unique market preferences. The automotive industry is a great example of this, despite cars being "universal". However, Japan is famed for their closed mobile ecosystem. "Galapagos syndrome", a term often used in business and academia to describe unique product development in Japan, was originally attributed to the mobile sector. Google this to find out more for yourself.

Keeping focused on Xperia: Sony are in the process of a balancing act. Like many players in this sector, they are constrained by different suppliers (inhouse and outsourced), consumers (Japan, Europe, China etc) and complementary forces (mobile carriers). Their home market just has a stronger influence. Japanese phones have pioneered features that appeared years ahead of rivals (fingerprint scanner etc). Some features never caught on outside Japan. If it were a "worldwide market", this wouldn't occur.

Sony's current target of growth in overseas markets (China, US) is a reflection of this. Diversification has many benefits, especially for Sony. Like I prefaced earlier, none of us are 100% sure why Sony walks the path it does. The point is, there are logical explanations behind the dual yearly flagship updates and I have yet to see a more compelling argument. It is not in Sony's interest to spend twice as much as rivals in developing constant model updates that consumers apparently don't want.
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Posted: 2014-02-23 22:59:44
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So, What do you think will happen?
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Posted: 2014-02-23 23:14:56
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LOL tons of pages to read
Here it will be 9 AM so I'll be ready to read EVERYTHING

ALL THEIR INFO ARE BELONG TO US
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Posted: 2014-02-23 23:20:45
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Good for you . And I just noticed you're from Italy. Why I was 100% sure you were from Japan?
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Posted: 2014-02-23 23:30:08
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