Sony Ericsson is hoping to regain the position of top Android smartphone manufacturer, following the release of the Xperia arc and Xperia neo.
This is according to Patricia Wand, head of marketing for Sony Ericsson Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who conceded that Sony Ericsson had lost this position to Samsung.
Sony Ericsson says the Xperia arc should be available by next week at the latest. The Xperia neo is already available. According to the company, the recommended retail price for the Xperia arc is R4 999 while the Xperia neo is R3 799.
The company says both phones come with the latest version of the Android platform, the Google Maps app for Android, up to seven hours (talk time) battery life as well as 3G and WiFi connectivity. Stylistically, the phones are very different: the arc is 125 x 63 x 8.7mm, weighing 117g and the neo is 116 x 57 x 13mm weighing 126g.
Colin Williamson, marketing manager at Sony Ericsson SA, says Sony Ericsson stands out from the other Android makers because it combines the Android operating system with Sony assets, including Sony music, Sony entertainment and Sony images.
According to Steven Ambrose, MD at WWW Strategy, Sony Ericsson still has a large and loyal following in SA. However, he adds that while these devices have the latest operating system from Android, the Xperia is flawed because it runs on last year's hardware platform.
Yet, Ambrose describes these phones as “well-built, fresh and sufficiently differentiated”, agreeing with Williamson that they are differentiated from their competitors because they feature high-end cameras and Sony music players. He predicts that they will “carve a niche” in the local market.
According to a BMI- TechKnowledge's reader survey released this week, Samsung is the current choice of 11.80% of readers, while Sony Ericsson was chosen by 5.80%.
Furthermore, Samsung was the future choice of 16.20%, while 2.90% said they would choose Sony Ericsson. Ryan Smit, head of the digital consumer unit at BMI-T emphasised that these findings were based on a readers' survey and were not necessarily reflective of the entire South African market.
Xperia arc
Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G
Display: 4.2 inches, 854 x 480 pixels (FWVGA), Shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant
Processor: 1 GHz Qualcomm
Camera: 8.1 Megapixel camera, Up to 2.46x smart zoom, Aperture f/2.4, Auto focus
Audio: MP3/AAC, Bluetooth stereo, Album art
Features: Google search, Facebook, YouTube, 3D games, Google Maps
Phone memory: Up to 512 MB
Memory card included: MicroSD 8 GB
Memory card support: Up to 32 GB
Size: 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm
Weight: 117 grams
Battery: 1500mAh
Xperia arc
Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G
Display: 3.7 inches, 854 x 480 pixels (FWVGA), Scratch-resistant
Processor: 1 GHz Qualcomm
Camera: 8.1 Megapixel camera, Aperture f/2.4
Audio: MP3/AAC, Bluetooth stereo, Album art
Features: Google search, Facebook, YouTube, 3D games, Google Maps
Phone memory: Up to 320 MB
Memory card included: MicroSD 8GB
Memory card support: Up to 32GB
Size: 116 x 57 x 13mm
Weight: 126 grams
Battery: 1500mAh
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