Sony mobile phone lost
Wu Junjie
The Sony mobile phone that used to be against Apple and Samsung, is now a thing of the past.
Recently, it was reported that Sony (TYO: 6758)'s smartphone business in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey will be closed in October 2018. Sony told the China Business News that it has noticed similar information, but it has not A positive response. Sony stressed that the smart phone is a strategic and important business of the company. It will focus on camera functions to enhance the competitiveness of its products, and is expected to enter commercial 5G in the near future.
However, in FY2017, Sony’s mobile communication business covering smartphones recorded an operating profit of -276 billion yen, becoming the only business in the eight business segments that turned profitable. The potential for this loss is expected to continue, Sony It is estimated that its mobile communication business will lose 15 billion yen in FY 2018.
Today, under the leadership of the new president and CEO Yoshida Kenichiro, Sony hopes to realize the turnaround of the mobile phone business and seek development opportunities in the three main business areas of electronics, entertainment and financial services.
From center to edge
Sony mobile phones have had a brilliant past. It has been a flagship product in the field of mass consumer electronics, with CMOS hardware, double-sided 3D glass body, 4K HDR screen, waterproof technology and other black technology blessings.
Integrated IDC, Counterpoint data, Sony seized the opportunity to upgrade from the function machine to the early generation of high-priced smart phones, mobile phone shipments before and after 2010, Samsung, Apple.
However, Japanese companies generally advocate the idea of hardware innovation, which makes Sony not sensitive to the fleeting changes in the consumer electronics market. The emergence of the iPhone, the launch of Google Android, etc., allows consumers to download software from the app store according to personal preferences. 'Manufacturing' is unique and unique to its own mobile phone, 'One machine, one world' has become mainstream.
'And Sony is still immersed in the cool inspiration of the cool technology, ignoring the software development that allows users to feel the 'temperature'. 'Communication observer Xiang Ligang said that the competition of mobile phone companies is not pure hardware, but hardware , software, channels, marketing and other comprehensive strength competition.
Later, along with Xiaomi, the Chinese mobile phone army, such as 'China Cool Alliance (Zhongxing, Huawei, Coolpad, Lenovo)', set off a low-priced smart machine. Sony mobile phones were classified by IDC to 'others' around 2013.
Disappointing to 'Suo Powder' is that Sony's black technology advantage has become increasingly bleak. 'The core configuration, basically behind other competitors. In the comprehensive screen, Liu Haiping, FaceID, AI studio lighting and other mobile phone companies competing Leading the field of micro-innovation, Sony is almost absent. ' 'Suo powder' Lin Lin bluntly, not enough stunning Sony Xperia XZ and other products are corresponding to the high price of 4,000 yuan.
'Sony mobile phone has gone, stop loss is the first essential.' The first mobile phone industry research institute director Sun Yanxi bluntly, in the background of the mobile phone industry into the downward channel superimposed significant head effect, Samsung with vertical industrial chain model Apple, which adheres to the software and hardware integration model, has built competitive barriers in the lucrative high-end machine market.
In Sun Yanxi's view, Sony has missed the golden period of functional machine development. Sony, which has two wave of low-cost machine-to-smart machines, has no advantages in hardware technology, software development, price, product matrix, channel, etc. In the annual report, the proportion of revenue contributed by its mobile communications business has dropped from more than 20% in 2012 to less than 10% in 2017.
'In the face of the homogenization of mobile phone products, Sony mobile phones are not completely without the chance to go beyond. But the short board that it has to make up is systematic.' Sun Yanxi said that Sony mobile phones from appearance to function to humanized small The design is not convincing.
Software is dawning
Compared with the hardware business, the software and service business represented by content has gradually become the focus of Sony's layout in recent years.
As early as 1995, at that time, Sony was in the field of home appliances, and when Sony’s head of the company was out, he was keenly aware that the IT industry would replace the electronics industry. However, due to misjudgment of industrial trends, Japanese management was constrained, Sony During the tenure of Ishii, he did not realize the transformation. Howard Stringer, who took over from the well, since he took office in 2005, proposed to save the technology through content, centering on the three core businesses of electronics, entertainment and games. Hirai Kazuo from 2012 On the occasion of the inauguration, the three medium-term plans covered by 'One Sony' are also coming out. In addition to breaking the rigid and other Japanese management dysentery, 'One Sony' emphasizes Sony's core business focus to games, digital imaging, mobile devices.
Sony, which has undergone several rounds of business adjustments, has always been enthusiastic about content such as games and Internet services. As of FY2017, Sony's transformation performance has achieved initial success. Game and network services, home entertainment and audio services and financial services business contribution In terms of revenue, the revenue of the game and network services business has led the business segments since 2015. From the perspective of profit composition, the game and network services industry, financial services have become Sony's profits. engine.
Kenji Yoshida also continued the idea of 'one Sony'. The increase in content IP in the multi-service category was considered by Sony to be the primary strategy. The integrated entertainment business, including music, film and games, set the basic strategy as 'Strengthen the use of content IP'. In the music business, for example, Sony acquired a 60% stake in the EMI copyright agency held by Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund Mubadala for about $2.3 billion, becoming the world's largest music copyright agent. Meanwhile, Sony also Payment of $185 million from DHX Media to acquire a 39% stake in Snoops copyright company Peanuts Holdings, achieving a 'pan-music' IP acquisition.
This strategy of emphasizing content IP is also reflected in Sony's gaming and web services business. 'The core of the game and network services business is to connect users and creators through PS4 game consoles. The basic strategy is to further expand the PS network (PSN). ) Business. 'Sony introduced to this reporter. The reporter was informed that PSN covers products such as PS VR platform, cloud game service, video service and music service.
'It can be said that the sale of PS4 game consoles, PS VR and other hardware products, in fact, is to sell a variety of content and Internet services on the adhesion platform. ' Consumer electronics observers nickname, this is compatible with hardware manufacturers to hardware and software The main logic of the transformation of manufacturers is also a compromise in the development of the mobile phone market.
According to Sony's previous "Electronics and Entertainment Business Expectations for the Next Three Years", as of the 2020 fiscal year (March 31, 2021), the three major business segments of the game and network services, music and video related to Sony's content IP will be Contribute nearly half of the operating profit.
Sony's choice of content IP to tap the potential of hardware business is considered a wise move. 'With the mobile phone business difficult to shoulder the burden, Sony is turning to game entertainment and other content and Internet services is expected to achieve higher profit margins and greater The space for growth. ' Xiang Ligang said.
Long road to revival
However, this does not mean that Sony's future is bright.
The reporter noted that home entertainment and audio, imaging products and solutions, and mobile communication services were integrated into the brand hardware business in the post-Pingjing era. In the “E-Year Performance Expectations for the Next Year of the Electronic and Entertainment Business”, as of the 2020 fiscal year, The brand hardware business has become Sony's largest operating profit target. Among them, the mobile communication business's operating profit target for FY 2018 is set at a loss of 15 billion yen, and in fiscal year 2020 it is a profit of 20 billion to 30 billion yen. This means that the hardware business will still be the fulcrum of the search for performance growth in the Sony transformation.
Sony also confirmed this development strategy to our reporter. 'The brand hardware business will become the most important source of cash flow in the group business on the one hand; on the other hand, it will provide technical support for Sony's new business, become medical and AI robots, etc. Black technology engine for new business development. 'Sony said, 'The rising status of the content business does not mean that Sony is going to be hard and soft. Hardware black technology is the important cornerstone for the company's future development.'
Sony's emphasis on hardware is indeed extraordinary. Due to the loss of mobile communication business, Sony first implemented the annual dividend in 2014, and launched a global layoff of its mobile phone division. At that time, Hirai Kazuo In the face of external questioning on where the mobile phone business will go, it is still firmly stated that 'in order to successfully enter new areas, the smartphone market is a bridge that can open up existing markets and future markets.'
Earlier, some insiders told this reporter that in the era of mobile Internet, hardware companies accurately said that they are essentially a combination of software and hardware. Apple, Xiaomi, Huawei, OV and other hardware companies are all looking to expand the Internet outside the mobile phone business. Service and other income boundaries. Sony's understanding of the transformation trend is in line with many companies. But Sun Yanxi also pointed out that 'the mobile phone as the entrance of the mobile Internet directly determines the radius and height of the enterprise software and hardware exploration. Sony mobile phone from childhood The return of the brands to the mainstream brands is a challenge. '
There are not a few people who hold this view. Lin Lin bluntly, Sony has gone too far on the road of mobile phones. 'When Apple leads the sleek shape of the design, Sony still insists on the shape of Founder; on the full screen, Sony Still obsessed with the screen ratio. ' Lin Lin said that Sony and the industry trend has been a long way to go.
Compared with Sony's mobile phone hardware business, Sony's star products PS4 game consoles, PS VR and other products have ranked the top in the industry in recent years. However, game commentator Zhang Shule said that Sony is in the game content IP reserve and development, PS hardware manufacturing and other aspects have advantages, but the main players of PS console games are mainly concentrated in the United States, Japan and other places. Due to the lack of domestic host game soil, VR consumer environment is not mature, Sony's game and network services business still It is difficult to fully penetrate.
'When Sony reduces the loss of the mobile phone sector, it must ensure that other business segments are quickly grounded, so that it can maintain a strong core competitiveness. ' Xiang Ligang bluntly, the current good financial performance, technology precipitation in the semiconductor business and other fields, etc. Will help Sony transformation.