Sony Ericsson have hinted that there may be a possibility, probably very slight though, that Rachael may not be alone in the Android stakes when announced next month. Commenting to British mobile magazine ‘Mobile Today’, Sony Ericsson mentioned that there would be ‘at least one’ Android’ handset announced by the end of this year. Of course that statement doesn’t tie Sony Ericsson to actually announcing a second Android handset alongside Rachael, but it would actually make a good bit of sense if they did so.
So far Rachael has appeared on the tubes a number of times through various ‘leaks’. By the time the announcement date rolls around, probably sometime next month, it will already be a handset that the digerati are acquainted with. How much more impact would they have if they also decided to slip in another Android handset on the side, maybe nothing as flash as Rachael, but still something to catch the eye. Indeed, if it were a non-touchscreen Android handset, as some have speculated Susan may be, then it would actually be, in some ways, more newsworthy than Rachael herself.
Of course this could all be pie in the sky, but we’ll just have to wait to find out … Let us know what side your money is on in the comments.
The X3/X10 has been spotted out and about again! This is becoming something of a regular feature these days, not that we’re complaining by any means! Sony Ericsson’s forthcoming Android handset is said to be sporting a Snapdragon processor, 16 GB internal memory, 4″ capacitive touchscreen and Android 2.0. These latest pictures are yet more appetite whetting material for those of desperately awaiting launch day.
Earlier today we posted up a picture of a new Sony Ericsson handset, codenamed Susan,. Speculation is rife in the blogosphere as to whether this is a new Android handset from Sony Ericsson or whether it’s just running a new version of Sony Ericsson’s own platform. At any rate here’s a short introductory video for the handset.
The rumour mill over Rachael, Sony Ericsson’s first Android handset, has been ratcheting up lately. We’ve seen various pictures appear, rumours of a Snapdragon processor and speculation on a release date. Well the latest rumour is that it’s not going to be called the X3 after all, but instead the X10. A chap over on Tweakers.net (translated to English) who claims to have access to an X3 (or X10 if you will) and information from a Sony Ericsson insider is stating that it will indeed be known as the X10 when it is finally released sometime in the first 8 weeks of 2010.
Why change the name though? ‘X3′ fit in perfectly well with the existing range of Xperia handsets. More importantly though, does it even matter?
SE’s new chap at the top, Bert Nordberg, is increasingly looking to be someone that is going to do some ass kicking at Sony Ericsson. Why do I say this? Well let’s look at an interview he recently gave to a Swedish website. In the interview Mr Nordberg made some comments that should give Sony Ericsson’s beleaguered customers a little bit of hope that we may at last, at long last, be seeing the company turn in the right direction.
For one Mr Nordberg wants to see Sony Ericsson return to profitability by next year. That’s a bold statement to make considering the losses the company has sustained over the past year ad the fact that the global economic recovery is still in its early days. Indeed the website conducting the interview made a point to note that most analysts are still looking at 2011 before SE can once again turn a profit. At any rate it’s a sign that Mr Nordberg is aiming high at least.
Next on his list is to cut the number of managers at Sony Ericsson. He says he wants a ‘flatter’ structure, most likely meaning a lot less bureaucracy (which if you’ve ever dealt with Sony Ericsson you will know can be headache inducing). It’s also about economics though, reducing the number of managers will save Sony Ericsson money. As you may recall Sony Ericsson has already implemented job cuts, with more than 2,000 jobs already having gone. It’s never a good thing when someone loses their job of course, but hopefully these measures see the company turn a profit again all the sooner and enable them to start creating jobs again.
Mr Nordberg saved the best for last though when he talked about the main road to profitability …better and more expensive handsets! His actual statement being:
We should spend more on advanced phones and raise the average selling price … We will not chase market share by selling 25 dollar phones in India
It almost brings a tear to your eye. It actually sounds like the Sony Ericsson of old again. It looks like the big bold handsets that enter the market to kick ass are coming back thanks to a CEO who, as I said, looks to be kicking some ass too with his call for “swift and decisive action”.
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