Bad news, good news, and potentially great news time, folks. First with the bad:
Sony Ericsson posted
another loss for its fiscal third quarter, to the tune of 164 million euro (about $244 million US), blaming a large chunk of that on a drop in sales. Sales dropped year-over-year 40 percent to 1.6 billion euro, and unit shipments comparably down 45 percent. That's the bad, now what's good for SE is that its secured more financial backing to reshape its future into something more profitable. External financing totals a reported 455 million euro ($676 million US), 255 million of which is already in the company's position and 200 million as a two-year backup. SE also managed to beat analyst estimates, losing less than anticipated, and that's gotta induce some bittersweet smiles in the corporate boardrooms... oh, the potentially great news? Well,
SEMC blog has boldly announced that the
Android-imbued
Rachael (a.k.a.
XPERIA X3) is due out this November, same specs as
we heard before and two color options,
Sensuous Black and Luster White. Unfortunately, we're not seeing exactly where this news is coming for, so until SE speaks the magic words, we're considering it a rumor for now -- but we're hopeful.
[Via
GSM Arena; thanks, Gillz and Christo]
Read - Rachael in November?
Read - Sony Ericsson 3Q loss widens
Read - XPERIA X3 in the wild
posted Oct 16th 2009 4:49PM
Hmmm, everybody is putting their money on Android because they're too lazy to develop their own software. I like Sony, especially the PS3, but this is really sad that they have to use another company's software. On the other hand, Android is free.
Kind of like Microsoft and the PC, and 90 percent of the market share. Sounds like getting your software from somewhere else isnt so bad.
Nah, who's making all the money in that scenario? It isn't companies like HP and Dell, it's Microsoft. Microsoft twice as big as the two biggest PC companies put together.
Sony is going to enrich Google with more advertising money, not Sony.
Use what works.
"Hmmm, everybody is putting their money on Android because they're too lazy to develop their own software. I like Sony, especially the PS3, but this is really sad that they have to use another company's software. On the other hand, Android is free."
Android is a really solid phone OS and 2.0 is looking amazing. So, why wouldn't companies want to use it when they don't have to spend millions developing their own OS in-house? Spending money on an ANOTHER app marketplace...?
I'd rather have one really good OS out there with companies adding their style to(Motorblur, Sense UI, etc) and having a universal app marketplace.
Then companies can worry about other things like features for the phone and hardware. Plus as a consumer you feel more comfortable switching across phones/carriers knowing you'll be comfortable with the OS and the marketplace.
Investing in other comanies' software could be what saves SE from failure. I'm all for competition in the mobile market, but you're looking at this the wrong way. Not every company can (or should, for that matter) have their own specific mobile OS. Companies don't want to invest millions of dollars to develop their own proprietary mobile OS (which would probably be Linux-based anyways) when there are several viable options available already.
@Detox
So are you saying that having and maintaining your own OS has a better revenue model then using a widely used OS? Of what i can see traditional cellphones are going out the door and smartphones are being bought up, i mean people who don't even need a smartphone are buying them. Plus in this market no one would choose to buy a non major OS phone because it won't have any support from major and minor developers.
You can't really create your own little ecosystem if you don't develop your own operating system. You think Sony is ever going to have something like iTunes or the App Store for their phones? Google might, but Sony won't. This is why it's a terrible idea to develop a phone using another company's OS.
Now they could go the Palm route and develop their own OS and use something like Linux or Unix as a base, but using Android is not going to put them in a really good position for the future. They're setting themselves up for another failure.
Just my two cents.
@Detox
That's pretty pessimistic. Look at the HTC Hero (not to mention other HTC models). They use Windows Mobile AND Android, not to mention a couple of XDA tweaks here and there.
And there's also the Droid, and the CLIQ from Motorola.
I don't think Sony Is putting themselves in a bad position by going with Android. Nobody feels like using UIQ anymore and until Windows Mobile 7 comes out, they opted for this. I'm all for it as well..
The whole point is that there is strength in numbers. So many OSes to clutter everything. Sure, competition is good, but a massively popular OS will prosper. Android aims to be everywhere, and on everything. It doesn't hurt you if you're joining the winning team, be it a manufacturer or consumer.
Are you telling me HP and DELL arent making any money? Google isnt going to be the one making the money because they aren't selling the software.
"You can't really create your own little ecosystem if you don't develop your own operating system. You think Sony is ever going to have something like iTunes or the App Store for their phones? Google might, but Sony won't."
Sony does and it's called PlayNow Arena. Currently, countries like UK have the fully featured one but once all their new gen handsets hit the market, the service (and its features) would be available in its entirety all over the world.
I guess Rachael is back
Just when I've gotten tired of waiting for an announcement on the X3 and have already settled on buying a Storm 2, Engadget screws me again!
The SEMC post said the *announcement* would be in early November, not the release of the phone. SE has a couple of weeks to make a November release date official, or I think it's the Storm 2 for me too!
Where's the totally slick UI we saw before?!? :O
fack....things are getting hot!!!
HTC - SonyE - Moto - Acer :D
Xperia X2, we hardly even knew ye
Am I the only one who think that phone isn't sexy enough?
HTC Touch Pro2 looks a lot sexier.
Me wants HTC Dragon or HTC HD2 already.
HD2 looks really sweet, but we don't even know what Dragon looks like or if that's even the name.
you have not seen how thin it is or how sweet the screen is, for an android handset this will set new levels off cool, and in general stands up to htc with their slick handsets.
Well the rumor mill is spinning already about HTC prepping a Droid version of the HD2....let's wait and see for that.
Oh shit! This is the first I'm seeing of Rachael. Wow...
Does anybody have any other pictures?
Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDCDUKGaYwI
Wow, that's pretty nice. It reminds me of Sense UI and Con10uum put together.
IMO, it looks better than the sholes/droid.
coulda had me if it had a decent processor in it, and i'm assuming that since they refuse to list it ANYWHERE, it's a PoS
it's speculated to have a snapdragon 1Ghz processor... which puts in on the top of the list actually
actually its confirmed to have a superfast Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz CPU
http://www.gsmarena.com/weve_got_the_first_live_shot_of_se_xperia_x3_rachael-news-1187.php
So many good android phones without the Qualcomm, which to choose!
what network will it be on?
I'll cross my fingers for Sprint.
Nothing has been announced (including the phone)...but if you look at SE's cell phones for the past five years, and see which carriers they've been on (read: NO CDMA), you can put together a pretty well-educated guess.
So now Sony is taking a huge loss, another victim of iPhone.
How sick and I'm a Sony fanboy I own $6000 worth of Sony electronics.
That's like what, 3 Vaios? That's not enough to prove that you're a real fanboy.
@Zane
Just read Truth's comment history.....obvious troll is obvious.
He's no Sony fanboy. He can say "I'm hardcore Sony fan but Sony is trash", and throw in ALL the anecdotes into his poorly written comment as he wants. Obvious troll is ridiculously obvious.
@Zane
52" Sony 1080p LCD
46" Sony 1080p
17" Sony vaio laptop
ps3
psp
Sony t90 digital camera
Sony handycam 30 gb
2 Sony surround sounds 1200 watts
2 Sony xplod 12" car subs
Sony 1000 watt digital car amp
Looking forward to the X3, should be a good battle with HD2. If SE can whip that android interface into something sleek and sexy (not that stale one we saw a few months ago) then it would be interesting to see who wins.
Stale? Rachael UI? Really?
I guess it's personal, but jeez man.
Anyway, HD2 has WM and it's already out.
This will apparently have 2.0 "Eclaire" on it but it will battle whatever will be out when it's released, possibly Quantum mobile phones... given SE's speed at releasing mobiles.
Wonder why they're loosing money with such a clear strategy: WinMo, s60, Android... really don't know what to do anymore!
too bad SE mobile's used to be among the best for media qualities.
Man I really hope SE get their act together with the X3. I bought the Satio 2 days ago and while it boasts of pretty impressive specs, its been nothing but trouble right from the start. There are tons of issues that need to be sorted out. A cursory glance over at any of the SE forums on the web should confirm that. And this is supposed to be SE's flagship phone until the X2 comes out later this year.
Which carriers?
None in the US. Probably Rogers in Canada
Project Black??? Please!!!!!
Oh man I wish.
I'm considering a N900 just because it *might* be Project Black. I prefer Android, but the Cliq or Magic aren't good enough. This is. THIS PLEASE.
WTF is Sensous Black and Luster White? Is it like...
Ooohh that black is soo seexxxyyy .. i'm in loooove .. and that white oooohh I'm sooo horny.
....
No, I don't think so.
SE biggest mistake is putting 528mzh cpu on X2 which makes me have 0 interests for it!
i just bought Acer neotouch S200 for 500$, since X2 cpu is TWICE as slow, should the price be twice as cheap for like 300buk?
Whoever thinks SE is only going with Android for now just till WinMo comes out has got to be smoking some good hash. There is no reason why anybody would want an inferior and problem-riddled OS like WinMo when the the alternative is both superior and free. SE is doing the right thing by migrating their products to Android.
*WinMo 7 that is
ok main question here
does it have a slide out keyboard like the other xperia's?
No. Touch Screen only with 3 buttons along the bottom
This might be SE's redemption. Their strength used to be in developing hardware, not software. The w580i had a great, snappy OS, but the damn thing fell apart in six weeks flat. Let them use a free OS and concentrate on build quality. Give me an Android phone that will walk all over an iPhone in terms of design and usability. I'm in love with Rachael.
Ohhh lovely SE, please dont pull a Moto on us and come back to hat u used to be (years ago lol)
The X3 looks HOTTTT!!!
And I dont mean Xperia or Aino kindda hot... this is like back when the T610 1st showed up and I sold all I had to get it 1st!!!
Enough of the filler info. Can anybody give straight answers for the real information that we want?
1. When is it shipping to customers' hands in the US? (not announced or "released," those 2 info are useless if the product itself is shipped months later)
2. How much is it?
3. Is Sony going to sell it unlocked?
SE could simply "announce" this in November, and we won't see the actual shipping product in customers hands by 2010. I'm tired of companies announcing their products waaaay early, and then ship them like almost a year later, especially in the US (Nokia and SE do this all the time). Why can't they just announce it and ship it on the spot worldwide (or within weeks)?
SE has a track record of releasing their phones within six months of announcing them. There are of course some high profile delays (cough, XPERIA1/P990i), but overall the wait isn't too long.
A phone like this would probably sell for around 600USD when first released. In a month or two after that, it would probably stay steady at around 450 for awhile.
Also, SE always sell their phones unlocked. Even carrier specific phones generally have an unlocked variant.
I'm a huge SE fan and buy their phones all the time, so I'm pretty sure about these points.
P.S., if the leaked video demo is acurate, I'm waaaaaay stoked for Rachael to get Eclaire into her system.
@PreGHz: 6 months is not good enough. I mean come on, why announce a product 6 months before you can actually ship it? It's ridiculous in these days and age where every info is instant. We are not dealing with the classic press release where there's time for news to seep in through traditional media anymore. The minute an announcement is made, the internet knows about it, and 6 months becomes an eternity and can pretty much kill the hype.
"Also, SE always sell their phones unlocked. Even carrier specific phones generally have an unlocked variant."
In Europe/Asia, yes. In the US, big FAT NOPE. SE cherry pick some models to be sold unlocked and some locked thru AT&T/T-Mobile. Some models may end up available both locked and unlocked, but there are plenty of models that only end up locked. Even worse, instead of just releasing ONE version of the product that works worldwide, SE (and Nokia etc) always make different versions of the products, complete with incompatible frequencies (the rest of the world vs US). I mean what's the point of this? Ridiculous! Not only that, there are tons of models that never see the light and day in the US.
I am, or was, an SE fan, Most of my previous phones were SE phones. I like it that SE is one of the few companies that is promoting and selling unlocked phones openly (moreso than Nokia) in the US, but enough is enough. Everytime I see an announcement of a slew of new SE phones, they're mostly Europe/Asia only, and 'maybe' the US get few models, months later. I mean come on, where is the US version of C903?
it is important to remember that SE are rebranding and going thru a major realignment at this time. we wont see how that works out til 6 mo to a year. also remember that se has traditionally used symbian os. se was a device maker. which os they use is irrelevent as long as it does what they need it to do. rip UIQ. that was a great ui layer and if my P1i back button hadnt failed i would still be using it.
With cell phone designs going the way it is right now ( i.e. edge to edge screens with a home/call/end call buttons), what's left for hardware manufacturers to distinguish their offerings visually from the competition?
An android phone with only 3 buttons? I guess SE is the only company that realises that you don't need like 6 buttons. Way to go SE!
I'd like this phone, I'd like the TG01, I'd like the iPhone, I'd like HD2. Too bad there are only old phone models on Sprint.