Can Sony get back into the Handheld Game?

Sony has been having a rough time in its handheld sector. After selling off its Viao branch of laptop business due to lacklustre sales, its flagship Xperia Z series, launched amid much fanfare, failed to quite capture the imagination of the public. Thus, a once-bigwig is now missing from the latest handheld news. In the midst of these failures, comes a silver lining in the form of the latest sales figures of Sony’s famed play station series.

Yes, Sony’s maximum profit is currently coming from sales of its portable gaming consoles. The latest sales figures of the PS4 consoles show sales that have reached 3 million in the last quarter alone. This is more than double of the sales figures of its closest rival, Microsoft’s Xbox consoles, which have sold 1.4 million units. This brings Sony’s grand total of sales to an astounding 25.3 million units sold since the launch of the PS4. Sony also claims that by the year end, it hopes to sell another 16.5 million units, which isn’t unlikely, as the holiday season beckons more shoppers than ever before.

What’s more, Sony has announced that its PS Vita sales in North America have been way more than they had expected, as there was a significant supply crunch seen recently. The Vita particularly saw a jump in sales as it now supports remote play for PS4. Also, the American head of Sony Computer Entertainment stated that more than a hundred new games and titles are expected to hit Vita very soon. These have further helped garner last minute curiosity and sales. Initially, according to the latest handheld news, the combined sales of PS Vita, PlayStation TV and PlayStation Portable had dropped to 3.3 million which had Sony bosses worried, as their gaming sector is basically their bread and butter. However, things have started looking up now, as the encouraging sales figures of the PS4 and PS Vita in North America are helping turn things around.

The overall and portable gaming consoles sector is proving to be a saving grace for the Japanese electronics giant, as it has failed to make a significant mark in the smartphone and phablet sector. The sales of the Xperia Z series don’t come anywhere close to the sales of other flagship brands, such as Samsung’s Galaxy S series and HTC’s One series. What’s more, with relatively smaller players like Huawei and ZTE stepping into the flagship arena with their Honour and Axon series respectively, the competition in this sector is further heating up. However, Sony can’t rely too heavily on the sales of just devices that fall under its Game & Network Services, which include its PS4 and other consoles, such as PS3 and PS Vita. Thus, let’s hope that in an attempt to ensure longevity in all the sections of the handheld business, Sony ups it game and recaptures its lost glory soon, before it’s too late.

Is Samsung Losing its Place in the Smartphone Market?

Samsung is not new to almost any avenue of electronics, as it is truly one brand that can make the claim of been there done that. However, things have not been going smoothly for the Asian giant, as its major share in the smartphone industry has seen a drop. After last year’s debacle of the Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung bounced back and made it to the latest handheld news headlines with the Galaxy S6 this year, a flagship that was much appreciated and lauded for its excellent look and features. Yes, this phone came with the latest smartphone specifications and yet, Samsung claims that the S6 performed below expectations as sales figures didn’t reach the heights Samsung had hoped for. Samsung’s profits fell 8% this quarter in a year on year analysis, spurring Samsung do go into damage control mode.

Thus, in a bid to bolster smartphone sales, Samsung is now slashing prices of its high end S6. This is clearly a desperate attempt by Samsung to help improve the profits margin for the next quarter, which will hopefully be strengthened with the release of the much anticipated Note 5. The biggest mistake that Samsung made with its two flagship handsets this year was the excessive marketing, which ate into the profits that were needed to breakeven in the first place. Samsung flashed the S6 and S6 Edge on every advertising avenue possible, highlighting the fact that these devices came with the latest smartphone specifications, leading a deficit in profits even before the release of the phones.

Also, while the sales of the S6 were disappointing, the supply of the uber cool S6 Edge was actually lesser than demand. Samsung had a tough time trying to meet the demand requirements of the S6 Edge, a premium phablet that came in minimal quantities. Thus, despite the exorbitant price tag of the S6 Edge, its demand was much more than anticipated, a move that Samsung grossly misjudged, leading to botching up an opportunity that could have done wonders for the profit margin of this quarter.Samsung has lots of reasons to worry. Once upon a time, Samsung’s biggest problem used to be Apple, who would eat into its lucrative Asian market share. However, last year Xiaomi beat Samsung to become the highest sold Asian smartphone in China. The fact that according to the latest handheld news sources, Huawei became the third largest manufacturer of smartphones in the world this year, further doesn’t bode well for Samsung.

Hence, Samsung really needs to pull up its socks and look at what options it still has in its hands to increase its profits in the coming two quarters. Unless Samsung really manages to turn things around in the coming months, sadly, things look bleak for the Asian giant.

Is Huawei the new Smartphone Champ?

The second quarter is up and the verdict is out. In a major upset that rocked the latest handheld news this time, Huawei has proven to be a winner in the true sense. Overall, it managed to displace Microsoft from the third position, taking over this spot, trailing behind just Samsung and Apple in terms of sales volumes and products shipped. What’s more, Huawei also managed to gain record sales in China, becoming the second largest smartphone seller in the Asian country, beating Apple and trailing behind only Xiaomi. So, how has Huawei managed to achieve such a dream run in such a short period of time?

Well, the answer lies in the fact that Huawei’s phones were just what was needed to shake things up a little in the smartphone market. Huawei isn’t a new player in the telecom industry per se, having been around since nearly a decade now. However, this company dared to venture into the fickle smartphone industry at a time when competition was already heating up. People thought to themselves that this will be yet another Chinese smartphone brand that will appear and disappear at the same rate. However, Huawei doesn’t just make the latest smartphone, it actually has a unique way of functioning which is what sets it apart from the rest of the competition.

Huawei, when it initially started expanding, actually raised capital from its own employees, making them shareholders and stakeholders in return. This was an innovative step that not only raised capital but also ensured loyalty of employees.

Also, it’s hardly been reported in any of the latest handheld news that this company has a CEO that’s appointed on a rotatory basis of six months. The company claims this helps to ensure that new ideas aren’t stifled due to permanent leadership.

Thus, the basic working ideology of this company sets it apart. Also, in a bid to diversify from its core telecom business, Huawei started making high tech gadgets and the latest smartphones. It never depended on just its smartphone sector to bring in revenue. However, being a renowned and trusted brand in China helped and thus, the handheld boom of Huawei in China proved to be a boon for the company.

There is a lot that other companies can learn from Huawei. Huawei has managed to gain the trust of its customers but only after gaining the trust of its employees. Here’s hoping other companies take a leaf out of Huawei’s book and follow suit.