It’s no secret, Sony’s Mobile division has been having problems for quite some time. Many of us feel that the 6-month release cycle of new flagship smartphones is partially to blame. But there’s also the fact that Sony just hasn’t done well in the US, and having exclusives with the fourth largest carrier in the country definitely doesn’t make it easier. I’ve been saying since the Xperia Z1 came out, that they need to put that smartphone on all four carriers here. I know a ton of people on Verizon that would kill for the Xperia Z2 or Z3. The Xperia Z3v is available on Verizon, but it’s kind of a mashup between the Z2 and Z3. But better than nothing.
There’s news coming out today from Nikkei Business Daily that Sony is looking to cut about another thousand jobs from their mobile division. This comes after the news that Sony is shutting down their stores in Canada. These jobs are said to mainly be in Europe and China, and further fuels the rumors that Sony might be selling off their mobile division. Additionally, this report stated that Sony’s Mobile division workforce will shrink by about 30% to 5,000 workers by the end of the fiscal year ending in March 2016. Which means these layoffs are just the beginning for Sony.
It’s sad to see Sony doing so badly in the smartphone market. Especially since they make such great devices. I actually just bought an Xperia Z3 over the weekend and absolutely love it. But there are two big issues in Sony Mobile, availability, and the product cycle. I think if they can release one flagship a year, or do the Xperia Z4 around Mobile World Congress and the Xperia Z4 Compact in the summer and the Xperia Z4 Ultra around IFA, they’d do much better. As well as getting at least two of those one every US carrier. I know Sony doesn’t have as much pull as some of these other OEMs, but they gotta try harder.
How many of you out there are using a Sony smartphone right now? Let us know in the comments below.