In the past, Sony was one of the few smartphone makers to release a pair of equivalent flagship devices at once: in a regular and compact body. Later, it was decided to abandon this approach, but a recent rumor hints at the revival of a trend that is so urgent in our time. One of the insiders has shared information that Sony plans to return the Compact and Premium versions of its flagships.
If the information is correct, in early 2021 we will see the announcement of three Xperia devices at once: compact, regular and bigger version. And given Sony’s desire to return the part of the mobile market lost over the years, such a decision looks very logical in the wake of the success of compact flagships from Apple, Google and Samsung. However, we recommend that you treat this rumor with a some skepticism.
Sony to change its name for the first time in over 60 years
According to Sony China, at the annual shareholders meeting, shareholders approved the proposal to change the company name to “Sony Group”. The change of name will take effect in April 2021. Sony is a multinational enterprise from Japan. Its main business is the development of electronic products. It was founded in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. Masaru Ibuka has a background in technology research and development while Akio Morita is good at public relations and marketing. Today, its headquarters is in Sony City, Konan, Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
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This is the first time that the company will be changing its name in over 60 years. The change of name will usher in a broader identity positioning. Like we said earlier, electronic development is the main business of Sony. The rebranding means that it will increase its efforts in financial services and other businesses. The target is to place these other businesses on par with electronics.
Sony’s CEO, Yoshida Kenichiro said: “We decided to rename the company to the Sony Group because we want to make full use of the diversity of our business portfolio to promote the development and evolution of the business.”
The Japanese company did not actually start off as “Sony”
Well, the original name of Sony is “Tokyo Telecommunications Industry Co., Ltd.”. However, this name was changed in 1958 to “Sony”. At the time, the name “Sony” represents co-founder Akio Morita’s ambition to create a global brand. Yoshida believes that the upcoming changes will lead the company to the next new stage.
For a long time, critics believe that Sony has been plagued by “diversity discounts”. Investors tend to avoid buying stocks in companies whose business lines are too diversified. In recent years, some electronics groups in Japan, especially Hitachi, have tried to abandon their non-core businesses.
However, the new coronavirus now makes people realize that Sony’s diversified model also has its benefits: games, music, and other entertainment businesses can meet the needs of consumers who are not leaving home. This can offset the losses in the sales of electronic products.
