WC 1M Post Challenge - You Ready?!

[MSFTisMIA]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

This is why Sony struggles. They keep making very good/good enough hardware, but not outstanding stuff. I'm reading a Z5 Compact and Z5 reviews and it seems like I'm reading the same reviews for the Z3 line last year.

Posted approved via Moto Maxx

Yup. It is a sad refrain. Each review about the Z5 has the same comments I've seen since the Z3:

1) suggesting the previous model as a viable option to get because of the price of the newer one.

2) Camera is good enough hardware wise, but software is still not fully up to snuff.

3) Design is on point overall, a few question marks though (volume button placement).

4) Feels like an incremental improvement, rather than an eye catching evolutionary leap.

5) Good enough to be in the flagship conversation, but doesn't stand out from the crowds enough to match the price tag.

Well, CEO Kaz gives them next year to start making money...so I guess I should start holding my breath from now...

Posted approved via Moto Maxx

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

So Canada has a centrist party in power again. Hope it's better than the far right conservative party they just had.

Not holding my breath mind you but you can always hope.

The main difference between most major political parties is the different ways they screw the public over for big business...

Ignorance, there is a cure.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Yup. It is a sad refrain. Each review about the Z5 has the same comments I've seen since the Z3:

1) suggesting the previous model as a viable option to get because of the price of the newer one.

2) Camera is good enough hardware wise, but software is still not fully up to snuff.

3) Design is on point overall, a few question marks though (volume button placement).

4) Feels like an incremental improvement, rather than an eye catching evolutionary leap.

5) Good enough to be in the flagship conversation, but doesn't stand out from the crowds enough to match the price tag.

Well, CEO Kaz gives them next year to start making money...so I guess I should start holding my breath from now...

Posted approved via Moto Maxx

Yeah it does seem a repeat of the last reviews.

Thing is I'm a little curious what Sony can do to get out of this mess. I know they can start by killing the six month cycle and keeping the compact is a good thing. Just not sure what else they can do really aside from dropping their prices.

Ignorance, there is a cure.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

See I didn't know any off this. I was looking online about headlights but didn't give me indication as to if its worth the trouble changing halogen lights to HID's or even LED's. Another question how do you know if the car is using HID's for headlights instead of regular halogen lights . I can't tell the difference because 99 said his old Acura has HID headlights.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk but I prefer my 810 and 830

From what little I've read a car with halogen headlamps is fine. No point in replacing them just because you want cool headlamps.

LEDs in my opinion are too risky for a car not designed for them. They're also too expensive at the moment.

With HID you have to ensure that your set up is correctly installed as well.

Ignorance, there is a cure.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Yeah it does seem a repeat of the last reviews.

Thing is I'm a little curious what Sony can do to get out of this mess. I know they can start by killing the six month cycle and keeping the compact is a good thing. Just not sure what else they can do really aside from dropping their prices.

Ignorance, there is a cure.

It also doesn't help that Sony smartphones aren't available for many US carriers. If I wanted a Sony Xperia Z5 for AT&T, I'd have as much luck as a Verizon customer who wants a 950/950XL. Unlocked would be out of the question, since it's ?599, which is too pricey based upon exchange rates.

Sent from my Moto X Pure Edition using Tapatalk

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

It also doesn't help that Sony smartphones aren't available for many US carriers. If I wanted a Sony Xperia Z5 for AT&T, I'd have as much luck as a Verizon customer who wants a 950/950XL. Unlocked would be out of the question, since it's ?599, which is too pricey based upon exchange rates.

Sent from my Moto X Pure Edition using Tapatalk

I'm not entirely sure what issues Sony has with US carries, probably the same that MS has I'm guessing.

Let's be honest. Selling smartphone in the US is a pain which is why you really only have two choices there. It's not that different here though. Samsung and Apple are the easiest phones to buy and repair so most people own them.

At least we can get Sony's on a contract though. If you want that.

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[Laura Knotek]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

I'm not entirely sure what issues Sony has with US carries, probably the same that MS has I'm guessing.

Let's be honest. Selling smartphone in the US is a pain which is why you really only have two choices there. It's not that different here though. Samsung and Apple are the easiest phones to buy and repair so most people own them.

At least we can get Sony's on a contract though. If you want that.

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AFAIK, the HTC M9 and LG G4 are also available for all four major US carriers. It seems like only Microsoft and Sony have carrier issues.

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[Laura Knotek]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Here's how an unlocked/unbranded device looks in an AT&T account. If it were AT&T branded, it would show a picture of the device and mention its name.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

AFAIK, the HTC M9 and LG G4 are also available for all four major US carriers. It seems like only Microsoft and Sony have carrier issues.

Sent from my Moto X Pure Edition using Tapatalk

I personally think the best thing to happen to the smartphone market in the US will be the ability to loan/lease phones and use them on any network that suits you. This whole idea of limiting phones makes little sense and removes consumer choice. Of course the carriers don't see it that way... They seem to want to control everything instead of doing what they should be doing, providing a service.

No idea when or if this will ever happen but we can only hope one day.

I can only assume the issues Sony has with US carriers is based on the carrier's demands. So Sony chooses not to bother. This is the sad reality of the US market. The limitations that carriers place on OEMs is what destroying the market. Consumers are the only ones that can change things but that's unlikely to happen.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

I personally think the best thing to happen to the smartphone market in the US will be the ability to loan/lease phones and use them on any network that suits you. This whole idea of limiting phones makes little sense and removes consumer choice. Of course the carriers don't see it that way... They seem to want to control everything instead of doing what they should be doing, providing a service.

No idea when or if this will ever happen but we can only hope one day.

I can only assume the issues Sony has with US carriers is based on the carrier's demands. So Sony chooses not to bother. This is the sad reality of the US market. The limitations that carriers place on OEMs is what destroying the market. Consumers are the only ones that can change things but that's unlikely to happen.

I didn't lease my latest device. I bought it outright without any financing from Lenovo. The nice thing is that I have the ability to dump my carrier at any time if they give me a reason to do so.

I have no idea why Europe and Asia have such better situations with carriers than the US and Canada.

The Canadian carrier situation is even worse. They only got rid of the 3-year contracts a couple years ago. At least the US carriers only have/had 2-year contracts.

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[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

I didn't lease my latest device. I bought it outright without any financing from Lenovo. The nice thing is that I have the ability to dump my carrier at any time if they give me a reason to do so.

I have no idea why Europe and Asia have such better situations with carriers than the US and Canada.

The Canadian carrier situation is even worse. They only got rid of the 3-year contracts a couple years ago. At least the US carriers only have/had 2-year contracts.

Sent from my Moto X Pure Edition using Tapatalk

Since I don't know the history I can only assume that here in the EU it has come down to regulations put out by the EU for mobile carriers. That's why we don't have a Verizon type carrier here in the EU as far as I know.

You can still get phones on contract here. We still have carrier locked phones. We still have exclusives. However, any phone, so long as it's unlocked will work on any carrier.

For consumers this is great and it's up the carrier to be a real choice based on their service. Which is the way it should be.

Canada's issue is the carriers they have and the fact the market is so small. Being next to the US doesn't help that in any way. It's been an issue in Canada for some time with regards to mobile, internet and TV. There's really a duopoly there and the ones in charge simply don't care.

 

[worldspy99]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Good morning everyone!

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Morning folks.

The thing that Sony has run into was that during the early days, they were selling some bad phones after they ditched Ericsson. Even then you saw the DNA emerge of good design but some weird choices to compromise on. The Xperia Ion was a bad phone. AT&T, to their credit, used to offer 1 -2 Sony phones pre the Z line. But they were underpowered and overpriced and high maintenance and didn't sell well.

The Z line has been the first cohesive high end high Sony has had with some kind of success. The problem is that while Sonybhas stayed ahead of the curve design wise, with such a short product cycle they cannot realistically build a new phone with design changes in 6 months.

I hope the Z5 is the last of this current design. Even if they keep the components of water resistance, glass and metal, something different is indeed.

LG & HTC get away with things in the US more than Sony because both companies, especially HTC, have had long existing positive relationships with the carriers. Remember, T-Mobile has carried every major HTC Windows device since the HD2 (HD2, HD7, 8X, One M8, and the best midrange of WP7 - the Radar). Moto too because of their Droid line with Verizon allowed them to launch the X 2014 and the Pure 2015 have VZW approved radios. VZW is still being a *** by not adding support for unlocked phones - see MSFT'S issues with the 950 and 950 XL.

If I were in charge at Sony, I'd have 4 lines of devices:

The M line for mid-range (5.2"screen, MediaTek chip, 16 GB internal, 3GB RAM),

a big screen mid-range C line (6" screen, MediaTek chip, 16GB internal 2 GB RAM)

a Z Compact line at 4.6" 1080P screen, Qualcomm chip, 32GB internal + 3GB RAM.

a flagship Z line at 5.5" with a Qualcomm chip, 32GB + 4GB RAM and 4K screen.

I'd add two tablets - a 12" and a 8". Add improved multitasking here - make the Small Apps much, much better. "Waterproofing" for all models. 32GB minimum internal here.

Oh and 1 Android Wear and one smartband annually too. These can be launched in the summer between the two big launches. Or make the headliners the Z line still and launch the C line with the smartband and the M line with the Android Wear as soft annual launches just to give the appearance you're launching new products quarterly.

Launch the flagship Z, M and Z Tablet in March and the Z Compact, C line and Z 8" tab in September. Or flip the order because the Z Compact is good enough to hold up against the big boys in the spring if priced appropriately. Use the Compact line to experiment with a few features and Z flagship proper to have the refined version.

Price the ****s well enough to sell. Do one camera update annually. Have 2 variants - a EU and Asia model and a North American model with all the carrier bands. No more cheap models...make the C line the cheapest phone.

C line - $275 range
M line - $350 range
Z Compact line - $475
Z proper - $600
Z Tablet Compact - $450
Z Tablet - $650
Android Wear base model - $250
Smartband -$100

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[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Who knew that buying a house would be so painful. What a roller coaster ride.

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[worldspy99]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Who knew that buying a house would be so painful. What a roller coaster ride.

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Is that the reveal you were promising us?

 

[worldspy99]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Who knew that buying a house would be so painful. What a roller coaster ride.

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Done it twice and have refinanced loans about 5 times, it is a PITA!

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Is that the reveal you were promising us?

Could be.

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[N_LaRUE]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

So, yes, buying a house was the big reveal. It's been very stressful for various reasons and we just agreed to the sale today after lots of back and fourth.

So we're moving a bit further away from London but still reasonably close. But we're going to be near the coast now.

So it's all good. Lots of work ahead.

Ignorance, there is a cure.

 

[worldspy99]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

Watching some big planes taking off at Chicago O'Hare airport.

 

[Muessig]

Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!

So, yes, buying a house was the big reveal. It's been very stressful for various reasons and we just agreed to the sale today after lots of back and fourth.

So we're moving a bit further away from London but still reasonably close. But we're going to be near the coast now.

So it's all good. Lots of work ahead.

Ignorance, there is a cure.

Good news!