[Poll results live] Sony Xperia phones are selling again - Samsung ditching fan-favorite features & LG Mobile closure responsible?

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Original story (from May 22) follows:

Sony isn’t the most popular smartphone maker today. For the most part, the Japanese company is known for its PlayStation video game consoles, video game publishing and high-end film-making cameras, with its mobile business coming further down the pecking order.

But in recent times, Sony Mobile has seen a significant change. Not only in the way things run, but also in terms of revenue — something that was hard to come by in Sony Mobile’s camp a few years ago.

In a smartphone world bossed by Samsung and Apple, it’s understandable that Sony Xperia phones are finding it hard to make a statement. However, there are recent signs that Sony is headed in the right direction.

In case you missed it, Sony’s Mobile business turned profit for the first time in years in the period ending March 2021. At the time, it was attributed to Sony cutting costs and increasing the average selling price of Xperia phones.

A few months later when Q2 2021 results were announced, Sony confirmed further growth in revenue, but this time it was attributed to an increase in unit sales. If anything, it meant Sony was selling phones again.

This was a special moment for Sony Mobile after years of making losses. It showed Sony Mobile’s revenue was no longer hinged on price hike. And this got me asking what’s the deal with Sony Mobile’s sudden resurgence.

Is it because Sony is making exceptional phones? While it could be true, it isn’t unheard of. The company has made some great phones, and it keeps delivering on this front with handsets that rock unique capabilities.

The Sony Xperia Pro-I, for instance, boasts a game-changing 1-inch sensor on the main camera. The company’s premium sets also remain the only phones in the market with a 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card slot. Thumbs up, Sony!

Not long ago, Sony announced its March 2022 fiscal year results, and once again, its mobile division is seeing gains. The same gains can also be seen for the 3 months period ending March 31, 2022.

It’s possible the higher price of Xperia phones could still be a major reason for the increased revenue. But we’ve also seen Sony Mobile confirm an uptick in unit sales, which means more people are buying them despite the price hike.

If anything, this suggests Sony Mobile’s upturn can be attributed to more than just its internal measures.

Besides the price hike and reduced cost of production, a couple of other factors could be contributing to Sony Mobile division’s recent resurgence: LG Mobile’s closure and Samsung ditching fan-favorite features.

Samsung is the leading smartphone maker, and any small change it makes affects the biggest number of smartphone owners. When the company got rid of fan-favorite features like the 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card slot, hundreds of millions were affected.

Those who couldn’t live without these features had few choices at their disposal. Buy and carry around dongles so as to keep using their old gear, or hop onto another brand that still offered these features out of the box.

Luckily, Sony and LG still pushed hard with support for 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card storage on their flagship handsets, allowing for a wider array of accessories to be used with the phones.

Having the two alternatives meant those coming from Samsung purely for the lack of 3.5mm jack and expandable storage were split between LG and Sony.

But then LG Mobile closed shop in early 2021, putting an end to the duopoly and effectively declaring Sony Xperia the only go-to option for those looking for premium phones with a 3.5mm audio jack and an expandable storage slot.

It’s unsurprising that Sony Mobile’s fortunes started turning around during the same quarter that LG Mobile closed shop – Q1 2021. If anything, it implied Sony was reaping from LG Mobile’s demise.

To date, Sony remains the only mainstream smartphone maker that still includes a 3.5mm audio jack and expandable storage, two features loved by power users yet Samsung ditched them.

It’s great to see Sony still cares for features that Samsung and other vendors dimmed unnecessary. And the fact that its mobile business has recently turned a corner means loyal fans are finally repaying the company for sticking by when everyone else ditched them.

I won’t be surprised if Sony Mobile’s recent resurgence keeps marching on. After all, the company has been making amazing phones for more than a decade, perhaps only let down by poor marketing.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. There’s also a Twitter poll that you can take part in, with the results to be announced after a week.

The results for the poll are out, with an overwhelming majority (over 91%) agreeing that Sony sticking with 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card has indeed played part in the company’s resurgence.

In cased you missed the poll, you are free to share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

Featured image source: Sony Mobile

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