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.

Smartphones to Look Out For in 2015

2015 may just be halfway through but there is still a ton to look out for when it comes to smartphones. This has been the year of innovation, as several brands came out with new and different handsets which sported unique features. However, there are still several new things to look for when it comes to mobile phone specifications. Comparison of handsets released lately with those that came out last year will make you realise the huge gap between handsets and their features.

One of the main handsets that has managed to make waves in the upcoming cell phones market is the LG G4. LG’s G3 was the most ambitious phone from last year, and it came with a new and impressive look. Accordingly, the G4 sports a fancy leather casing, with Snapdragon 808 processor, 5.5 inch HD screen and 32 GB of internal storage, which is expandable. LG is also making waves with its LG G Flex 2.

Just when you thought that HTC couldn’t get any better, the smartphone maker managed to outdo itself with the HTC M9. Last year’s M8 was a big hit, as it managed to really win the market with its excellent mobile phone specifications. Comparison of the M8 and M9 will make you realise that the M9 comes with a 20 MP main camera, Snapdragon 810 chipset and an octa-core processor. The M9 is also releasing as a phablet, with the M9+, which is a 5.5 inch phablet. This is sure to give the likes of Note 4 competition.

Sony too is releasing the Z3+ and the Z4, which aim to be worthy successors of last year’s highly successful flagship Z3 series. And how can one forget Microsoft when talking about new launches. Microsoft is heel bent on ending the name of Nokia but it is still keeping the Lumia series alive. The new offerings from Microsoft include the Lumia 940 and the Lumia 940 XL. These phones too will come with large and bright screens and Windows OS, as has always been the norm with Microsoft and Lumia.

The S6 and the S6 Edge has already managed to make a name for itself with its innovative design and the fact that Samsung managed to finally get everything right, which all went wrong in the S5. The S5 tanked big time and proved to be the biggest embarrassment possible for Samsung. Thus, it’s a good thing that Samsung has really upped its game, as 2015 is sure to give it tons of competition.

This was all about upcoming cell phones & handheld news. There are also several brand names that are swirling in the rumour mills, with claims that many smaller names are also looking to take on the likes of bigwigs. Only time will tell whether this year will see any upsets for the big names.