MWC 2012: Sony and the NXT Xperia Conference

After several years entrusted the management of its mobile activities to the joint venture Sony Ericsson, via a control to shared with equipment manufacturer Ericsson, the Japanese group Sony finally decided to take the direction by buying all of its partner participation.

The operation, expected these quarters, comes at an appropriate time, Sony Ericsson began a shift toward smartphones, with a particular interest in Android and the ambition to become the first manufacturer of smartphones Android in the world.

The time is suitable also for Sony, whose results are stagnating and visible values on a number of categories of high-tech products by competition Korean and now also Chinese companies.

Having launched a strategy tablets in 2011 (Sony Tablet S and P), with the desire to become one of the leaders of the market, the objective now is to implement an ecosystem of products and services interconnected between them.

With smartphones to play a growing role of remote control of equipment and the home gateway connectivity, all the ingredients came together to the foundation of the branch Sony Mobile Communications, in which Sony Ericsson is merged, and who will be coordinating the mobile strategy at all levels.

The MWC 2012 Barcelona show is the first demonstration of the new Sony entity that now has as its only smartphones of the Xperia range. The event was held at the Palau Sant Jordi, on the site of the Olympic Games of 1992, prestigious if and the symbols of a new start.

Bert Nordberg, CEO of Sony Ericsson become responsible for Sony Mobile Communications, and Kazuo Hirai, (in a month) future CEO of Sony, therefore skeptical on stage to explain the new strategic direction.

It is simple: operate the potential of Sony digital image and games and transpose them in a mobile world to connect devices, of smartphone TV via game console or the shelf, all trying to propose a user experience common and différenciante.

This requires technical know-how (engine display Mobile Bravia, sensor Exmor S for mobile AFN) and catalogues of content (Music Unlimited, Unlimited Video, Certification PlayStation games Mobile, all constituting the Sony Entertainment Network ).

The whole was convened under a same credo: Watch, Play, Listen, Create. These four pillars are thus in one way or another in Sony products. For the purely mobile part, many things were expected: new Xperia smartphones, a new tablet, a first smartphone Windows Phone, a smartphone Xperia Play 2...

Perhaps mindful of the way to go, Sony has yet chosen to focus in his press conference on the new Xperia NXT range. It includes the Sony Xperia S, announced at the CES 2012 Las Vegas, and two new models show, low range: the Sony Xperia U and P.

If the attitude is consistent, especially in a context become very difficult and where manufacturers are fighting to try to distinguish themselves from each other, could expect more announcements for a first event intended to mark the spirits and bring a change.

However, Kazuo Hirai announced the imminent launch of a very large advertising campaign to gain visibility in Europe and elsewhere and make themselves known as a manufacturer of smartphones to the general public.