It’s Time We Recognised Sony’s Contribution to the Android Ecosystem
Sony the Japanese company is famous for many things. Music players, transistor radios, display technology, optical storage, and a host of other things. In 74 years of its existence, Sony has ventured into many territories and won them all. There is no other company that makes as many products as Sony, and yet its legacy is swept away by the likes of Apple and Samsung.
The addition of the fingerprint sensor in the power button on the new iPad air got me thinking about Sony’s innovation in the Android ecosystem and how it’s always overshadowed by the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Google. For example, Sony is the first company to introduce IP ratings in their mass-produced phone the Xperia Z way before any other smartphone maker was able to do it. Similarly, Song also made the first smartphone with a full HD screen in Xperia Z. Some other firsts that Sony gave the Smartphone market are:
- 4K HDR recording in XZ2 in 2018
- 960 fps recording
- The first phone with HD screen
- The first phone with full HD screen
- The first phone with 4K screen
Sony was among the first companies to experiment with a handheld console with Xperia Play. It didn’t follow up on the idea but companies like Asus did and have now come up with ROG series phones with trigger buttons. Just a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft launched Surface Duo, a handheld device with two screens. Well, Sony made a similar device way back in 2012. That’s 8 years ago!
A Weak Marketing Game Is to Blame?
Sony has always been at the forefront of smartphone technology but is never credited with much of it. Apple, on the other hand, would now be known for making well thought out fingerprint sensors in the power butting and would be applauded for it. This is all thanks to the billions they spend on marketing. All their incremental updates are advertised as something groundbreaking which helps their products catch the eye of the consumers.
Sony phones also don’t get as much recognition like Apple’s or Samsung’s because their naming is all over the place. Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 II, Xperia ZL2, Xperia XA1, Xperia XA2 plus! All these names are too confusing and often leave the customer confused as to which one is which. Add bad nomenclature with weak marketing and we get the hot mess that Sony currently is. Sony is in a dire need of good marketing and simplifying their naming strategies. If not, they will continue to live in the shadows of Samsung and Apple!
