Sony Takes On Samsung With Xperia Z1, SmartWatch 2 - Light Reading India

Sony India has been quick to roll out its flagship smartphone, Xperia Z1 along with the latest Sony SmartWatch 2 to take on Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear SmartWatch, which were launched just a day ago.  The company has aggressively priced both the smartphone and the smart watch at Rs 44,990 and Rs 14,990 respectively. Interestingly, Samsung's smartphone and smart watch pair costs around Rs 73,000, which is much higher than the total cost of Sony's smartphone and smartwatch. (See: Samsung Gears Up With Galaxy Note 3) The Sony SmartWatch 2 is brand agnostic and can be used with any smartphone running on Android 4.0 or above, while on the other hand, Galaxy Gear SmartWatch can only be used with Galaxy Note 3 and a few high-end Galaxy devices. (See: Smartphone Biggies Make It A Sizzling September) Very recently, Qualcomm had also showcased its Toq smart watch, intensifying the competition in the wearable segment. When asked if Qualcomm posed any challenge for Sony in the wearable segment, Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director at Sony India told Light Reading India, "Qulacomm is a partner of Sony and we have been developing products together. However, I cannot comment on the dynamics of the smart watch market right now." (See:Qualcomm Enters Wearables Segment With Toq Smartwatch) The company is aiming for a stronger foothold in the Indian smartphone market. It is targeting at raising its smartphone market share to 20 percent by FY14. (See: Sony To Launch New Smartphones Every Month) "We have around 10 percent smartphone market share, as per market research firm GfK. We want to be the leader in premium smartphone segment in India," said Hibi. (See: Sony Sees Up To 35% India Revenue From Smartphone Biz) Hibi informed Light Reading India that Sony would be spending Rs 75 crore on the marketing of its latest flagship smartphone, Xperia Z1, which is priced at Rs 44,990. The overall marketing budget for the smartphone range is Rs 300 crore. The company had 3,000 sales channel counters in its FY12, which it wants to increase to 8,000 by the end of FY13. Hibi said that Sony would also expand its Xperia Flagship Stores from 30 to 200 by the fiscal end. "India is one of the most important countries for Sony in mobile phone. And, we are strategically focused on how to develop the market," Hibi said. The executive said that Sony India had launched 10 smartphones already and would be launching more devices. "There are certain segments, where Sony can capture market share and be in the commanding position," he added. On Windows Phone offering, Hibi said that there were no Windows phones in works at the moment. "But, we may consider once we see market for Windows Phone," he stated. On Microsoft-Nokia deal, Hibi said that the acquisition would have a positive impact on the mobile industry. "They can further develop and enhance the mobile industry together," the executive said. The company also has plans for the 4G LTE ecosystem in the country. However the executive said that he couldn't share much information on that, since the company was in discussions phase currently.  —Danish Khan, Correspondent Light Reading India  via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEybCTjPJa6TB7fXfI0VV4EuMlLYw&url=http://www.lightreading.in/render_partial?article_id=281921

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