Sony Ericsson: "A unique user experience for all" Options

[Mizzle]

We've had a chat with Kenneth Møller, National Account Manager, Sony Ericsson Denmark and Iceland, about today's announcements as well as some general phones talk. Here's what he had to say

Q. The new C905 Cyber-shot features an 8-mega pixel camera - was that a necessary step?

A. The amount of mega pixels is one of many factors we're continuously working with to get the best image quality. With the C905 you can even share your photos via DLNA to i.e. your TV or Playstation 3 and thereby show the photos in a large size. This is where the amount of mega pixels makes a considerable difference.

Q. An important factor when it comes to mobile phone cameras, high resolutions and alike, is the size of the camera sensor. Any news on this front to avoid picture noise, colour errors, and alike?

A. C905 has a larger camera sensor than what we've seen in previous models, but apart from that we're working on advanced features such as face detection and smart focus, which in different ways is what consumers of compact cameras and mobile phone cameras want.

Q. Many will say the C905 lacks optical zoom. Why was this feature excluded?

A. During the development process we're continuously evaluating based on what combination of features that delivers the best user experience and the best combination of features, size and price. In the case of C905, we think the 8.1 MP in combination with the possibility to share your photos on your TV is the best solution. Apart from this you can now also geo-tag your photos with the built-in aGPS and use it for navigation purposes.

Q. The TV-out cable ITC-60 is announced as an accessory to the C905 - can it be used with other phones?

A. C905 is the first phone by Sony Ericsson with TV-out functionality.

Q. The Sony Ericsson F305 is the first model in a revived F-series of gaming phones. Will this series be reserved cheaper phones, or will we also see more expensive phones in this series in the future?

A. We strongly believe in our new F-series, but can only make statements about announced products.

Q. What makes the gaming experience on the F305 unique compared to i.e. the K850 and W910, both also featuring a built-in accelerometer?

A. With an accelerometer as in F305, you get expanded possibilities to use different movements.

Q. With the Cyber-shot phones now in the C-series, will the K-series be used for price-friendly phones such as the K330?

A. The K-series will be used for phones in the entry-level segment. When it comes to imaging, we've got the S-series; Snapshot to complement the Cyber-shot range in a more competitive price level.

Q. The C905 in particular has received lots of publicity in the media and on various forums. Is this a so-called hero product?

A. We announce what we think gives the best user experience in the imaging segment. With the C905, we announce several new technologies and applications, that we believe will take the photos from your mobile phone camera to the next level. That's why we strongly believe the C905 will communicate to all.

Q. What will the new phones cost?

A. It's not Sony Ericsson without the operators that can set the prices for the markets, and they can vary by market. Our estimate is that the C905 will cost around the same as the K850 did when it was released.

... and now some more general questions.

Q. The XPERIA brand was launched earlier this year, and even since we haven't seen any further additions in the XPERIA range. Are there any plans of announcing one or more this year?

A. We've announced the X1, which will be released during Q4 2008. We can however not comment further on any unannounced products.

Q. How does the future look for high-end phones by Sony Ericsson? At the latest few announcements the primary focus has been on cheap entry-level models - is it the plan to continue this?

A. We'll be expanding our product portfolio in full to satisfy all kinds of markets.

Q. Is there still a market for ultra-thin phones?

A. The size of the phone is still an important factor, that must be balanced with the feature set and price.

Q. Numerous competitors have announced luxury models - does Sony Ericsson see a future for these phones or are they niche-products?

A. Our goal is to deliver a unique user experience for consumers with different needs. This goes for all segments.

Q. Professional UIQ-phones are a rare sight nowadays - are there any models in the pipeline or is the platform less suitable than Windows Mobile for this kind of phones?

A. Sony Ericsson today works with a set of different platforms that all add different parts to the portfolio. UIQ is still an important platform, complementing Windows Mobile in X1.

PS. Sorry about any mistakes in the text. Had to do this in a hurry, so the translations are definitely not top notch!

From the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog:
http://blog.se-nse.net/sony-ericsson-a-uni...rience-for-all/.

[Mr.Phear]

so, how much did the k850 cost at launch? because this c905 is supposed to be similar. around 600?

[Mizzle]

K850 was about £350 globally.

[weirdwilli]

Which is still about the same price as the N95 8GB which is relatively old now...

[Mr.Phear]

so around 700USD... better start saving.... hahaha

[McLaren F1]

Larger sensor!
Cool!
This phone has to be mine!

[xell]

Predictable answers, thanks for the effort though

[Mizzle]

xell,
Don't say that! Took me like an hour to get it all translated

[weirdwilli]

We all appreciate your efforts a great deal whatever people say Miz!

[Mr.Phear]

xell,
Don't say that! Took me like an hour to get it all translated

could've used an online copy/paste translator!

but really, thanks for all the effort mizzle!

[number1]

Q. The new C905 Cyber-shot features an 8-mega pixel camera - was that a necessary step?/quote]

A. The amount of mega pixels is one of many factors we're continuously working with to get the best image quality. With the C905 you can even share your photos via DLNA to i.e. your TV or Playstation 3 and thereby show the photos in a large size. This is where the amount of mega pixels makes a considerable difference.

Good question

Wrong, megapixels is just the resolution nothing to do with quality, quality comes from better lens & sensors, also a 3.2 megapixel photo would like fine even on a 52 inch screen because it's the way the screens upscales them to fit it. my 3.2megapixels look fine on a 20inch screen set as the background.

Q. An important factor when it comes to mobile phone cameras, high resolutions and alike, is the size of the camera sensor. Any news on this front to avoid picture noise, colour errors, and alike?


A. C905 has a larger camera sensor than what we've seen in previous models, but apart from that we're working on advanced features such as face detection and smart focus, which in different ways is what consumers of compact cameras and mobile phone cameras want.

Good finally larger sensors , but i bet it's not big enough for 8megapixels.

Q. Many will say the C905 lacks optical zoom. Why was this feature excluded?

A. During the development progress we're continuously evaluating based on what combination of features that delivers the best user experience and the best combination of features, size and price. In the case of C905, we think the 8.1 MP in combination with the possibility to share your photos on your TV is the best solution. Apart from this you can now also geo-tag your photos with the built-in aGPS and use it for navigation purposes.

NO we want opitcal zoom instead of more crappy megapixels opitcal zoom is a very useful feature opposed to megapixels which in a phone are useless, geo-tagging is a fun feature to have but opitcal is far more useful & if samsung can do it with the g800 then surley can do it.

Q. What will the new phones cost?

A. It's not Sony Ericsson without the operators that can set the prices for the markets, and they can vary by market. Our estimate is that the C905 will cost around the same as the K850 did when it was released.

The k850i is over-priced, but the c905 packs way more features so at the k850i's price tag it should be value for money i hope don't mug us off again.

This post has been edited by number1: 2008-06-17 20:41

[Step666]

@Mizzle: he's right though, the answers are really predictable.
That's no slight against your translation skills, it's merely pointing out that Kenneth may as well have been reading off a script.

The answers regarding matters such as the choice of direction for the C905 are particularly disappointing IMO as they're full of really poor excuses.
I mean it almost seems like they're desperately trying to justify the move.

[Mizzle]

Honestly, some of it was lost in translation, as it would simply not be fitting in English, so it's not that bad really, but I do agree that it's what you could expect with a few exceptions.

[Step666]

Whilst I'm sure you're right, some small points will be lost in translation, I think the gist of it is pretty clear.

[Mr.Phear]

@Mizzle: he's right though, the answers are really predictable.
That's no slight against your translation skills, it's merely pointing out that Kenneth may as well have been reading off a script.

The answers regarding matters such as the choice of direction for the C905 are particularly disappointing IMO as they're full of really poor excuses.
I mean it almost seems like they're desperately trying to justify the move.

all of the answers seem very very scripted, and i think thats what they are... so lets not complain TOO much