Sony regains spotlight in IFA
An official tries out Sony’s Wena Wrist smart watch at the company’s booth during this year’s IFA fair, Berlin, Germany, Sunday. / Courtesy of Sony Korea
By Kim Yoo-chul
BERLIN, Germany — Over the last few years, Samsung received great attention at the annual IFA technology exhibition every September as the Korean technology giant has used the expo to unveil its Galaxy Note “fonblet” series.
Samsung was the key revenue source for IFA organizers as the scale of its booth to promote new products was bigger than those of any other companies at the fair.
But this year, Samsung is losing its luster at the convention because it picked up New York as the venue for its latest products. Samsung’s main focus for the 2015 IFA is connecting existing appliances within its Internet of Things (IoT) platform rather than promoting the latest products.
An absence of Samsung is benefitting Sony as the Tokyo-based giant is showcasing its advanced products at the IFA.
Sony launched the world’s first UHD 4K high-definition (HD) smartphone at the fair which boasts a 5.5-inch 4K display screen and two day battery life.
It is the flagship of a new line-up of the Z5 phone that Sony hopes will put it at the center of the competitive smartphone market.
In a message that Sony can effectively handle its consumer business, CEO Kazuo Hirai himself managed an event to release its new products.
“Sony is coming back. The launch of new smartphones and cameras mean the company is out to regain its position in advanced technologies by pursuing innovation,” Hong Ji-eun, a spokeswoman at Sony Korea, said during the fair.
Some say it remains to be seen that UHD-equalized picture quality will be popular. Sony aims to show that the development of hardware in smartphones has reached full maturity,” said one official at LG Electronics on the condition of anonymity.
The cameras in the new Sony smartphones are more advanced than these in Note5 or LG G4. The Z5 has the world’s fastest auto focus and is also fitted with a clear image zoom that magnifies the image up to five times greater.
In the game zone inside its booth, Sony encouraged participants to experience PlayStation games wearing equipment that supports augmented reality (AR).
“You have to wait for more than half an hour to experience PlayStation games with AR solution,” Hong said.
Its “4K Bravia TV” is another product that shows its ability to develop new hardware.
Such moves are supported by its gain in profit and sales, officials said. Sony generated 17.8 trillion won in sales during the second quarter of this year with a quarterly operating profit of 957 billion won, an increase of 38.8 percent year-on-year.
“Sony returned to strong profitability by moving beyond its traditional hardware approach towards providing services and solutions with its customers. Sony is on track to once again become a force in global technology,” said the LG official.