Sony is launching the new Qualia high-end line.
Can we expect a Keitai from them? If so
it will be the first competitor of Nokia Vertu:
From News.com :
"... The Qualia line, which started in May 2001, will be
high-end consumer electronics products meant for the
affluent consumer. They will initially be sold only
at Sony stores. U.S. availability is to be determined.
The Qualia idea will likely be applied to other parts
of Sony's business, but it will begin in electronics--
the company's largest revenue contributor and the
department that took the hardest fall in the company's
disappointing performance in the last fiscal year.
During its fiscal year-end earnings call in late April,
Sony Electronics' Tokyo-based parent reported
disappointing results, causing its stock to drop more
than 20 percent in the course of a couple days to a
52-week low. The company cited a sales decrease
for Vaio PCs, as well as its CRT televisions, as some
of the reasons for the electronics business' results.
...
Kevorkian added that the company seems to be
falling behind in product innovation, and cited the
portable digital audio space as an example. The
company pioneered the Walkman, a portable tape
player, but it has taken a backseat to others, such as
Apple, which developed the hard drive-based and
popular iPod..."
http://news.com.com/2100-1041-1014955.html
Here is the first digital camera form the line:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0306/03061002sonyqualia016.asp
Are these niche products like VERTU generating any
revenue or any real advantage against the competition?
Is this going to help Sony that is actually making most of the
revenue from the console business?
What do you think?
________________________________________________________
giovanni bertani mobile vas consultant (giovanni.bertani@exsense.com)
exsense verona italy
Received on Wed Jun 11 17:32:55 2003