Sony to go Android?

[igorsk]

viktorz from the-ebook.org forums has spotted this ad on LinkedIn:

(cached here)

[Logseman]

So, is anyone here going to apply or can I send the form confidently?

[SensualPoet]

The Sony Xperia X10, and its cousins the Mini Xperia, are Android phones and have been selling in strong volumes in Canada, the UK and no doubt other markets; the US launched it Monday. Android is not new to Sony.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

The Sony Xperia X10, and its cousins the Mini Xperia, are Android phones and have been selling in strong volumes in Canada, the UK and no doubt other markets; the US launched it Monday. Android is not new to Sony.

True, but the advert is from the Digital Reader division.

Graham

[tovare]

Cool, so let me guess: they're building a ePub reading-client for android phones and need to interact with it using the library application running on Windows and Mac.

Maybe my next phone should be running Android then.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tovare

Cool, so let me guess: they're building a ePub reading-client for android phones and need to interact with it using the library application running on Windows and Mac.

Yes, I think that's more likely than a dedicated Android reading device.

[peitsao]

Gives me hope that Sony will catch up with Kindle and nook on the cell phone market. I really like their readers, so much so that I cancelled my K3 order in anticipation of the new Sony models. I hate the Kindle keyboard but do like Amazon's ability to sync across devices with bookmarks, etc.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by peitsao

so much so that I cancelled my K3 order in anticipation of the new Sony models.

What new Sony models?

[peitsao]

I have faith in Sony--need to be patient.

[JSWolf]

Sony usually announces/has new models for October. So be patient Grasshopper.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by peitsao

I have faith in Sony--need to be patient.

Sorry, what I mean is, what specific news from Sony prompted you to cancel your K3 pre-order?

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

The Sony Xperia X10, and its cousins the Mini Xperia, are Android phones and have been selling in strong volumes in Canada, the UK and no doubt other markets; the US launched it Monday. Android is not new to Sony.

Developed in Lund by Sony-Ericsson.
San Jose is a different ball game.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, what I mean is, what specific news from Sony prompted you to cancel your K3 pre-order?

AFAIK Sony has not announced any new Reader line-up for this fall. And there has been no public leaks or anything that one could call "specific news" whatsoever. However, there is every reason to assume that there will be a new line-up, unless Sony has given up on the Reader business altogether. As an absolute minimum there should be an upgrade of all reader models to e-Ink Pearl screen.

The Sony Readers appear to be in closeout mode right now. All models are deeply discounted, аccessories are on sale. One has to assume they are clearing up the retail channel for the new models, or they are simply clearing up. I hope it's the new models.

[Teddman]

Originally Posted by porkupan

As an absolute minimum there should be an upgrade of all reader models to e-Ink Pearl screen.

Not necessarily. There are rumors that Amazon has an exclusivity window on the e-Ink Pearl screens for at least six months. That has a ring of truth, as you think at least one e-reader manufacturer or another would have announced a competing device with the Pearl screen by now...

This would neatly tie up the e-ink Pearl market for Amazon through the holiday season. Smart if true.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by Teddman

There are rumors that Amazon has an exclusivity window on the eInk Pearl screens for at least six months.

This is quite possibly true. However, I seem to remember reading a forum post by a Ukrainian reseller of Hanvon products a couple of months ago. The guy was complaining about Amazon and Sony getting preferential treatment from eInk (i.e. exclusive rights on Pearl in 2010). Just today the same reseller boasted of Hanvon having sold 600,000 units in China over the past 6 month period, thereby gaining the same priority level from eInk as enjoyed by Sony and Amazon. His info comes from his Chinese contacts, and he is not always wrong with his predictions.

So, it seems that Amazon may not be the only game in Pearl. Amazon, however, was able to get its devices ready in practically no time, and it remains to be seen if Sony in the end is able to capitalize on possible Pearl exclusivity.

If all Sony planned on doing was to replace the screens in the Readers, I don't see why they wouldn't try to counterstrike at this time with pre-announcements of their own. To try to limit the damage. I would suspect that Sony may have been caught a little off guard by the price war between Amazon and B&N while in the process of getting ready its own new technology (hopefully, a line of connected readers with less crappy touch screens?). I don't see replacing Vizplex with Pearl as something that requires any significant development effort.

There seem to be these distinct possibilities:

1. Sony is no longer planning to attack the U.S. market. The Sony Reader is done
2. Sony doesn't have rights to Pearl, so there is no point in trying to release anything new before the end of the year (Sony is majorly screwed)
3. Sony would like to sell new Readers, but the channel is overstuffed with the last years models (Hopefully, the dumping that's going on right now will help with that)
4. The new lineup is still not ready, will not be ready until later in the year (Makes sense knowing that Sony never seems to have sufficient resources working on the Readers)