Sony announced a number of unique and interesting connected devices at MWC 2016, and unsurprisingly there’s been a lot of interest in the products, and when or whether they’ll reach the market. Sony’s mobile team have interviewed product manager Asuka Matsumura about the concepts.
You can read the full interview at Sony’s Mobile blog, but here are some highlights:
There were a number of really exciting new Xperia product announcements at MWC, why did you decide to show conceptual devices as well?
At MWC we committed to providing increasingly personalised and intelligent products and services that empower Xperia users to do more. We didn’t just want these to be empty words, so we set about showcasing all-new smart product concepts that embody our Xperia brand vision.
Our vision is for Xperia smart products to work as an extension to the smartphone experience or autonomously, to show how we’re evolving our offering to enrich lives and challenge conventional ways of communicating. Showcasing the devices at such an early stage of development also enables us to gauge interest from the market and potential partners; that might have the capability to shape and influence the experience.
How does Sony decide which concepts see the light of day? Are there any others that came close?
We regularly come up with designs and concepts for products, but we decided to showcase these devices as the first in our roadmap, as we believe they can connect people to each other and become essential and beloved parts of their lives.
Why did Sony decide to develop the Xperia Eye, Xperia Agent and Xperia Projector in particular?
The concepts are part of our branch into the market commonly referred to as “internet of things” and/or “smart everything”. We chose to have these products as they include new technologies that we will continue to develop to enhance daily experiences.
In broader consumer terms, we’ve designed our wearable and new Xperia smart products as integrated sensor and software experiences. Sony is a company that creates and enhances experiences every day – going to the cinema, listening to live music, visiting art exhibitions, receiving pictures from your friends, or just speaking to your loved ones on the phone, these are all experiences – yes they are enabled by technology, but the human element is what is valuable in them. It’s this that powers our vision. Take Xperia Projector for example, the concept is designed both for those who wish to access entertainment or work in a larger format and for families who wish to enjoy entertainment and games together. Our vision is that the projection isn’t just making your content bigger, but fully interactive also – responding to touch, voice and gestures. It’s designed so you have more time to experience the world around you and communicate with those you care about.
Exploring new sensor and software combinations is important – as we believe it’s a powerful vision of how users can let the technology work for them unobtrusively. We’re taking that same approach to future development as well.
How likely are we to see the concepts we saw at MWC on the market some day?
We can’t comment on very specific timelines, but we are wholly committed to each concept – and are working towards commercialisation, which is a very exciting time for us.
The full interview is available on SonyMobile.com, and if you’re interested in these exciting concept products from Sony, we encourage you to take a read.
Their service is horrible ! My xperia z3c stopped connecting vie wifi bluetooth all of a sudden after just 14 months and they refused to take it in for service because it was not under warranty and they did not have the staff to fix it! Even when i was ready to pay for the repairs on some hardware fault that is pretty well know this device has.