Info Tech
Sony Tries to Crack Smartphone Market With Xperia Z2
TOKYO – Sony Corp. is rolling out a new smartphone loaded with its most advanced camera and audio technologies. But will the cutting-edge, high-tech features really help the phone sell?
That question is a key one for Sony as well as a host of bigger rivals like Samsung Electronics Co., which are showing premium smartphone models at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. The makers are hoping to woo consumers to top-end phones with bigger displays and better cameras, as a host of new rivals spurs competition and pushes prices of cheaper models below $100.
The stakes are even higher for Sony, which earlier this month said it would pull the plug on its loss-making personal-computer business, effectively doubling down on smartphones and tablets. Sony Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai is banking on mobile devices to drive profits in its struggling electronics business, as well as to restore its fading reputation for cool gadgets.
Results so far are mixed: Sales at Sony’s mobile products segment, which included PCs, jumped 40% from a year earlier and made up about 22% of total revenue during the nine months through December. Yet Sony also cut its smartphone sales target by 4.8% for the year through March, citing slower-than-expected demand in China and Europe.
Sony handsets now have a 3.8% global share by shipments, while Samsung and Apple AAPL -0.32% Inc. together hold a 47% share, according to research firm IDC. Sony sells more than half of its handsets in Japan and Europe, while its presence is tiny in the U.S. with just one carrier distributing its phones. Its market share in China last year was just 0.5%, according to Canalys, another research firm.Sony’s new flagship phone—the Xperia Z2, unveiled Monday in Barcelona—comes with a larger and brighter 5.2-inch display, curved edges and a slimmer body than the previous model. With two speakers and a noise-canceling headset, Sony says users should get quality sound, even on noisy trains and buzzing planes. Sony also showed off its slick new Xperia Z2 tablet, which it claims to be the slimmest and lightest waterproof tablet with a 10.1-inch display.
But the new phone’s highlight is a camera that uses an ultra high-definition technology known as 4K for its horizontal resolution of roughly 4,000 pixels. Sony and other electronics makers like Samsung are trumpeting 4K as the key ingredient in their next-generation TVs.
In Sony’s new Xperia Z2, 4K video lets users capture and watch details normally too small to see, even though the handset display uses a lower resolution, said Kichiro Kurozumi , vice president overseeing Xperia’s product planning, in an interview in Tokyo ahead of the mobile show.
But the Z2 isn’t the only phone that takes video in 4K: Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3—a phablet which is bigger than a smartphone but not quite a tablet—launched in September also had 4K video capabilities; LG’s newest phablet with a 5.9-inch display, the LG G Pro 2, unveiled Sunday, boasts 4K video capture too.
And consumers don’t always gravitate toward high-end features. In 2003, Sony released a high-end home audio and video brand called Qualia, which failed to gain traction and was shut down after three years. Instead, it was the lower-fidelity Apple iPod that became a megahit.Even Samsung’s recent attempts to spur sales with everything from curved-screen smartphones to the Galaxy Gear smartwatch haven’t done much to spark demand.
Analysts also say many users may not want to shoot high-resolution video on their phones, since it eats up battery life. Others may not be able to see the difference in resolution quality on such a small device.
“Innovation on the smartphone itself has pretty much reached a plateau,” said IDC research manager Ramon Llamas . “A lot of times, the experiences tend to look the same.”
To hedge their bets, premium handset makers are introducing cheaper models. Sony is launching in April a more affordable model called Xperia M2 with a 4.8-inch screen and high-speed network capabilities.
But the low-end market is fast becoming crowded with Chinese and other Asian brands offering cheap devices that work on speedy, fourth-generation cellular networks. Competition will get fiercer after Lenovo Group Ltd. completes its purchase of Google GOOG +0.35% Inc.’s Motorola handset business.
“The scary part about smartphones is that a hit product can instantly flip the industry,” Sony’s Mr. Kurozumi said. “Both Lenovo and Motorola have the ability to come out with such a product so it is a threat for us.”
– WALLSTREET JOURNAL
In efforts at spicing up the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, the management of ITREALMS Media has partnered with E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON) membership organisations for a day-long collection scheme of small electronic waste on Friday, December 15, 2023.
The EPRON members aligning their partnership with 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue are EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited and WEEE Eco-Friendly.
ITREALMS’ day-long collection scheme is part of the commemoration of 2023 international E-Waste Day (IEWD) within the ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue with the theme “You Can Recycle Anything with a plug, battery or cable” at Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.
Revealing this collaboration, the Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media, the organisers of the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, Sir. Remmy Nweke, urged mobile device enthusiasts to come along with their devices that have reached their end-of-life to the venue for proper disposition by professionals who would also be on grounds to address some topical issues.
The collection of small electronic wastes especially mobile phones and like-devices, would be carried out by EPRON member organisation, EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited as facilitated by ITREALMS Media group as part of this year’s ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue on Friday, December 15, he added.
He disclosed that the exercise would commence at Welcome Centre Hotel by 9am till close of work hours the same day.
Nweke pointed out that the collection of small e-waste items would include mobile phones, pointers mouse, earpieces, rechargeable torches, phone chargers, to name a few.
Further, he said, that this initiative has become time-serving because some people may have missed any other opportunity before now for the year-long campaign, hence this awareness on e-Waste has to be continuous, “ITREALMS came up with this scheme.”
Nweke beckoned on Nigerians, especially mobile phone users, to leverage the opportunity in disposing of their mobile devices they no longer use, of course in exchange for a voucher or gift item.
In her reaction to this year’s day-long small waste collection, EPRON Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Faluyi, described the initiative as commendable, expressing confidence it would intensify the collection of end-of-life devices for proper disposition.
Mrs. Faluyi, also urged Nigerians to take advantage of this day-long collection of small wastes courtesy of ITREALMS Media.
Recalling for instance that in October 2022, EPRON had partnered SLOT alongside some UN agencies for collection of small e-waste items in Lagos, including the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
This is even as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida and Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Aliyu Jauro, would both lead speakers at the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue slated for this Friday, December 15, in Lagos.
Today, September 12, the tech corporation Apple will introduce the iPhone 15, their newest iPhone model.
According to a Forbes story, this model, which will be introduced at the company’s “Wanderlust” event in Cupertino, California, will be available in four variations: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are five things you should know about the new iPhone 15 model.
1. The new model is made of titaniu, not stainless steel as some other Apple smartphone models, Senior research analyst at DIGITIMES, Luke Lin reports.
2. The Pro Max model will feature double the optical zoom on the iPhone 14 as it comes with a newly-introduced ‘periscope lens upgrade, performing 5-6x optical zoom.’
3. The Pro models will carry an A17 bionic chip expected to make it perform faster.
4. The iPhone 15 model will feature a USB-C charging port, the same port featured on some Android phone models.
5. Due to its titanium shell, the new model is anticipated to be more expensive to purchase. The following is the speculated price list, as reported by Forbes:
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 ($100 increase), and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,299 ($200 increase).
In an effort to reduce the exorbitant cost of Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, the Infrastructure Bank Plc announced its collaboration with FEMADEC Group on Monday to offer 500 buses powered by autogas (Compressed Natural Gas).
Partners in the agreement claimed that the project was created to provide citizens with dependable, affordable, and environmentally friendly travel options, taking into account the negative effects of the nationwide increase in PMS costs.
Under Decree No. 51 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1992 Constitution, the Infrastructure Bank, originally known as the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, was founded in 1992 to promote the quick development of infrastructure throughout the nation.
In a statement issued in Abuja on its partnership with FEMADEC, the bank said, “The preliminary offer extended by TIB lays a solid foundation for the expansion of FEMADEC Group’s CNG bus fleet.
“With plans to introduce 500 CNG buses within the next five years, commencing with an initial batch of 50 buses in the forthcoming year, this proposal stands poised to instigate significant change.
“The acceptance of this proposition by FEMADEC Group, notably championed by Fola Akinnola, the Group Chief Executive Officer, is a testament to their zeal and dedication to this alliance.”
The bank described the partnership as a “pivotal endeavour that is primed to redefine Nigeria’s public transportation landscape, offering dependable, cost-effective, and ecologically conscious travel alternatives for citizens, while harmonising with the nation’s broader sustainability ambitions.”
“This partnership represents a remarkable stride towards a more ecologically aware future for Nigeria’s transportation sector, highlighting the shared commitment of both TIB and FEMADEC Group to sustainable advancement and progress.”
It said FEMADEC Group’s strides in operating Compressed Natural Gas buses, including the existing fleet of 20 CNG buses under LAMATA, underscored their unwavering dedication to ecologically sound solutions, a commitment predating the fuel subsidy removal.
“Their leadership within the CNG value chain is undeniable, and the new alliance with TIB underscores their foresight.
“This partnership seamlessly aligns with TIB’s sustainability objectives, echoing their resolute endorsement of the government’s net-zero and climate change agenda.
“The bank’s aspiration to champion Nigeria’s infrastructure progress is evident in its endorsement of pivotal initiatives like this, yielding expansive positive impacts on both the environment and society,” the bank stated.
The bank added that it would continue to make a significant contribution to the country’s growth as a leading financial institution committed to advancing effective and long-lasting infrastructure projects.
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