Sony on not making a Windows Phone: "...no one really cares about WP."

Whether or not Sony Mobile Communications (previously Sony-Ericsson) will commit to a Windows Phone has been a back and forth for some time now. They dipped their toe into the ecosystem back on 2010 with the "Julie" prototype which was then canceled and since then, have been open but not committed to the platform.

A recent rumor suggested that they would make a device but not till late 2012 i.e. when Windows Phone 8 "Apollo" hits--a reasonable decision in our mind. However, Phone Arena, in a meeting with Sony Mobile Communications during Mobile World Congress, managed to get a little more info from the company and it doesn't sound too positive on the prospects.

While Sony are still "open" to the idea evidently they're not too keen on it either. If you wonder "why not" Sony's answer is "Because no one really cares about WP".

Harsh words from a company struggling to turn a profit in 2011 and 2012 (they're down 20% in shipments from a year ago and lost 247m Euros, according to the BBC). While they will still push forward with Android, the prospects for a Windows Phone from them still seems slim, at least for the near future.

Of course in a mobile world dominated by Samsung, HTC, Nokia and Apple, one has to ask: Does anyone care about Sony anymore?

Source: Phone Arena; via PocketNow (Image via Phones4U)

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

144 Comments
  • From the looks of it, no one really cares about Sony when it comes to Android.
  • True, the last time I even considered Sony was the Xperia X1
  • That's why I sold my 1 monnth old Xperia Ray and got a HTC Radar :)
  • That's incredibly dumb and naive of them.
  • agree 100%
  • I haven't cared for Sony products for years, but there are 7 Windows Phones in my family already. Some HTCs, some Nokias, some LGs. Sony could be on that list but they seem to prefer Crapdroid.
  • Haha, that's what I say in any news about any Sony product these days. Sony is one of those older companies that is failing to redefine themselves. Years ago, I would only recommend Sony TVs, nowadays, there are better and cheaper alternatives. Same with their consoles, they were too full of themselves making online gaming an afterthought and MS brought it.Their laptops are overpriced, their stupid proprietary memory sticks suck, their UMD disks (wtf?) that only had any use in their PSPs. Even Blu-ray hasn't exactly taken over DVDs yet, and I'd wager that the world of optical drives will slowly die  out in the near future as well.
  • Seriously wtf! I even got my wife to buy her first smart phone after she fell in love with my HD7. She was like , "Wow! Everything just works so fast and simple. Not like your last Android phone" :P
  • No one cares about Sony as a whole, they use to make good products but now even there Android phones are crap.
  • Almost the entire Philippines doesn't care about Windows Phone. Or even the fact that there is an alternative to the iPhone and the gazillion el cheapo Androids our country has.
    If almost an entire nation doesn't even care about the existence of Windows Phone, how can you EXPECT(!) a company like Sony to care about it? :(
    Just Sayin', people... Think about it.
  • Well since google flooded the world with the worlds worst phones WP never had a chance to grow in a fast rate nd well WP doesn't have that long out I believe this year WP should take some market share from ios nd Android maybe not a huge piece but enough to become a solid 3rd choice in mobile OS
  • You can make the same argument about the Philippines. Who care's about the Philippines? The USA doesnt care about the Philippines (they don't have oil), and therefore if a whole nation doesnt care about the Philippines doesnt that make it irrelevant? Sorry but I find that you have made a deductive logical fallacy.
    1. Sony said that no one cares about WP
    2. No one cares about WP in the Philippines
    3. Therefore no one in the rest of the world cares about WP
  • The formulation is incorrect but I see your point ;)
    The truth is that no one cares about Sony anymore, the company is having a hard time generating profit because they have problems developping solid software to back up their hardware (Common issue for a hardware manufacturer). PSN, Android, PS Vita are just examples that good hardware without good software just doesn't cut it anymore in 2012. They choose to go with Android, which is already a saturated market where the competition is high. Instead of trying to differenciate like Nokia did with Windows Phone, they just keep trying doing the same stuff over and over again with poor software integration. Samsung and HTC are the current leader in the Android market, but what's next now that Google bought Motorolla? Apple is doing a very good job managing his brand but I don't understand where all the EOM's and MotoGoogle are going with Android.
  • Darn it! Flawed comment system!
  • Really stupid argument:
    1. Sony is not in Philippines.
    2. Windows Phone wasn't even launched in Philippines yet.
  • WP doesn't care about Philippines. Lumia doesn't care about Philippines. #harsh truth
  • I would've taken your post with a little bit more seriousness if you would've said how you don't understand why a whole country would ignore the fact they get crappy performance from the low end Android devices they have now and not migrate over to a far superior low end device like the Lumia 710 or any 1st Gen Windows Phone.  Now I'm not making any judgements but I will ask what that may suggest about the Philipino people when it comes to mobile phones and getting the most value and performance for their money?
  • The Filipinos in the Philippines are not really smart. You can tell by the way he/she post his/her comment.  If one of their movie stars start using for example Blackberry's the entire nation will go blackberry.They just followed the pied piper without using their brains. That's why they're are a third or maybe fourth world country. 
  • Pls do not generalize - your comment is unsubstantiated. Such an arrogant comment
  • Fellow Filipino here, BUT I think the guy is right! .
    Now instead of us being hurt... well you know. Lets get even. <--- just kidding :D
    yeah but sadly he's right.
  • Please don't bring down the Philippines because of your inept comment. Dont generalize - of course there was little marketing done there so the chances of WP getting popular is very slim. Let's see how Nokia does when they start promoting the Lumia phones - i'm sure they will fare better than HTC.
  • Oh my, im from the philippines, i own a wp7 phone, my friends has wp7 phones..
  • Oh my, im from the philippines, my friends and i use wp..
  • I live in the Philippines and since buying the HTC Radar middle of December 2011, I care about WP. Unfortunately, almost nobody here knows WP exists. It has not been properly and officially introduced, at least not that I know of, nor have I seen a single advertisement on WP. I learned about WP through tech and phone sites like WPCentral and ordered my device through the internet.
    On the other hand, Sony is heavily advertised in the Philippines and yet nobody I know has bought a Sony in the last 5 years! Whereas before it was known for premium quality with a price, now it's only known for being pricey without quality necessarily attached to it. With regards to Android, I've seen plenty of HTC, Samsung, and LG in the hands of people I know, but have not seen a single SonyEricsson Android handset in anybody's hand. So yes, nobody cares about Sony anymore.
  • Hello. A fellow Filipino here, and just a correction, Filipinos doesn't "know" about WPs.
    Don't worry though as still the Nokia's are the most popular here. I'm betting on the Lumia's if marketed right will be a hit.
  • Daniel you dropped the ball again by allowing all those dumb comments about the Phillipines to stand. A little off topic, don't you think?
  • Fuck Sony mobile phones! Hope they will fail miserably with their CrapDroid phones.
  • Sony have really lost their way. Apple & Samsung have taken a lot from them. Their brands used to be awesome Walkman Discman, even some of their pre Ericson era phones used to be quite nice, but since then? Software sucks big time, and innovation is lacking, all they do is prototype and when releases come they are...well like the playstation move. At least HTC know how to make decent crapware (i.e. Sense) Sony like RIM are falling away. At least Nokia & Microsoft did something about it, when they were in this position.
  • Well, no one cares about Sony when choosing an Android phone, its always Samsung or HTC, not quite Sony. A rather ignorant statement by them to say that no one cares about WP. Well guess what Sony, we don't really care about your phones too.
  • What sony says is not true because i am not "no one".
  • Not meant to rude, but no one cares about the Philippines. No offense.
  • I like how you begin the sentence, "don't mean to be rude" and the proceed to be just that..and then to make yourself feel better you finish by saying "no offense"...just say your statement without trying to sugarcoat it..
  • I dont understand why the Philippines is being considered the end all benchmark of WP success? this is the second commentor to metion how no one cares in the Philippines. Was I asleep when the Philippines became the dominate mobile phone market to gauge the world market on?
  • Where is your sarcasm meter? From reading the comments, these Philippines comments are in response to the person who opened the floodgates with the assumption that if their country does not care about WP, then Sony is somehow right.
  • Yeah my bad, i read the comment wrong. in my tiredness (damn youz daylight savings time) I just quickly glanced at the comment and thought someone was referencing the Philippines again instead of saying no one cares about the Philippines. No i see the error of my commenting ways. bad commentor bad!
  • No need to make a racist comment.
  • Like MaulerX said the person that post the insulting comment about WP opened the floodgate, and now he is getting what he deserved. The funny part, he made his entire race look dumb.
  • Sony? That has been company...who really cares about Sony.......go HTC.....go Samsung .. .go Nokia......
  • Oh no, you di-int!
  • ...And the last good phone from Sony, that really entered the public consciousness, was...?
  • Hang on there, I'm still thinking.  UMMMM, wait just a little bit longer...........  Oh forget it, there wasn't one.
  • K800
  • Of course! The K800! How could I forget that! Ah 2006, that takes me back...
  • Still struggling to think... Sorry Sony, I've got a PS3 and I love it. All of my previous car stereos have been Sony but you're no longer relevant in the phone market.
    You've got to realise (as Microsoft have) that it's not the late '90s/early '00s any more. Adapt or die.
  • w800?
  • That my friend is one of the best feature phone I've ever had.
  • If People think android they nearly always opt for a Samsung Or HTC .
    Sony has little place in the smartphone world as it Currently stands.
    Windows Phone is saving Nokia , maybe Sony should realise this and considering adopting a similar approach.
  • If People think android they nearly always opt for a Samsung Or HTC .
    Sony has little place in the smartphone world as it Currently stands.
    Windows Phone is saving Nokia , maybe Sony should realise this and considering adopting a similar approach.
  • Of course Sony doesn't want support WP, the whole MS ecosystem is eroding sales of their floundering Playstation line. They see XBL on WP as direct competition to the DOA Vita.
  • Agreed.  And with WP8's upped hardware specs I think we'll start to see  'xbox-in-your-pocket' devices a la Vita, except they can do so much more than play Uncharted.
    I actually had a pre-order on a Vita - cancelled it because I think WP8/XBL is the future
  • What a joke! No one is interested in Sony's Android phones. What a freakin clown!!!!
  • Best thing Sony ever made was the playstation, and still dont own it
  • Sony products are just as bad as Apple products.  Overpriced and over-hyped.  If Apple didn't fill the medias pockets with cash, they wouldn't be so heavily hyped.
  • I'm not gonna even read the comments. I am just gonna guess they consist of
    "F'u Sony!"
    "No one really cares about you, Sony!"
    Etc.......
    But anyways, that's kind of sh!tty thing to just declare. Obviously, people do care about WP. I don't know if they were trying to convey another sentiment. But this just comes off as arrogant and snotty (Though I shouldn't be surprised as folks at Sony have made ridiculous comments over the years. Specifically those in the Playstation division)
  • Idk I just associate Sony with the 80s and 90s (my parents like Sony, Black Triniton and stuff) Apple with the 00s, they're just behind times, and these kinda comments shows it.
  • They could've had a winner with gamers if there was a Windows Phone Xperia Play. PlayStation and Xbox games on the same phone. That would've gotten some buzz.
  • fcuk Sony
     
    What a silly thing to say. I guess they are just afraid.
     
    I like Sony phones. I have a Xperia Play. The battery life is nothing short of amazint. But statements like this makes me bloody mad at them.
  • Lol!  A lot of comments pissed at Sony! 
     
    At the end of the day, Sony is not very profitable with Android - even with Android's ubiquity, Sony simply isn't making any money compared to Samsung and HTC with that OS.  So, how can anyone expect Sony to jump on board with WP given the small WP marketshare and license fees?  Using WP, at this point, simply wouldn't make financial sense at this point, for them.  However, I do personally believe that they could outdo Samsung AND HTC using WP simply because of their camera tech and Bravia tech, not to mention the better design language that they use for their devices.
     
    Sony makes some aesthetically good looking devices, in my opinion.  And if they made a WP device, they would be the ONLY oem other than Nokia that I would even consider giving my money to.
     
     
  • Wow. Sony sound incredibly bitter.
  • Sony have very poor mobile devices, although the new xperia range look okay. They're timescape UI is awful!
  • I want a video link to hear those words.
  • Said after the Xbox is once again the number one console. We all know Sony is jealous and refuses to make a phone with Xbox in it. That said, I'll see to it no one in my family purchases anything from Sony just to spite them. Not that we would anyway as their crap is overpriced junk.
  • Sounds to me like they're bitter from Xbox kicking their butts in the gaming market.
  • They are just plain jealous of the competition. I am now planning on using my PS3 HD as an External Drive as I dont see much value from this company anymore. Our Family were 100% sony purchases from TVs to Portables. But now have moved to LG and Samsung. And Wrt Phones, I am moving from an iPhone 4 to Nokia Lumia 900 as more potential to develop Apps on the Windows Phone Platform
  • Sony makes phones?
    I'd have to see one to belive !
    Never did.
  • That's a rude statement to make,Sony. Not nice on your part. If you have only negative things to say at least keep quiet!
  • Most probably because of integrated XBox on WP7
  • Poor Sony. They are losing money year in and year out. And all they seem to do these days is say retarded comments that rub people the wrong way. But the question is, why would anyone want a Sony phone to begin with? Just read a review on Engadget a few days ago about one of Sony's latest Android phones. It was shredded and ridiculed (it sucked). How the once mighty have fallen.
  • The only product line Sony has done a good job with would be the Playstation. I am not a fan of the PS3 but dang the PSP and PS2 were amazing. They also make pretty good headphones but as for phones and PCs they are absolute junk.
  • We dnt need Sony we have nokia
  • The truth of the matter is really "Who cares about Sony"?  When has Sony ever been a factor in the mobile phone market?  Some arrogance approaching that of Verizon in deciding not to support Windows Phone.  But I digress.... I'm going out on a limb here and say that from my first looks at Windows Phone, it will good enough that it might not need support from the likes of Verizon and Sony.  AT&T is getting the good new phone releases, and if the fix up their network a bit, this story will be short.  Nokia and Windows Phone FTW!!
  • kind of funny when the new sony phones look a lot like the zune hd. 
  • sony : no one really care about windows phone
    then who the hell buying all windows phones ? we must be aliens to sony =/
    Does anyone care about Sony anymore?
    Not me for sure
  • Sony is so pathetic, getting exclusive rights to some games to keep sales away from the Xbox in Gen 6, the ps2 was so slow,crappy to even the gamecube. Then they have the nerve to make a DVD/surround sound system with NO INPUTS!! What OEM does that? Can't wait to see them go out of business.
  • And MS doesn't do the same with exclusives? And say what you will about their comments on WP, but.you lost me at calling the PS2 crappy.
  • They actually make their own exclusives or have their studios make them. Sony was doing it with 3rd parties, that the difference. The PS2 is crappy because my bro had to buy a new one every year because if disc read errors.
  • How rude.
  • I don't have any Sony products in my home. I definatley won't after reading this.
  • I have a Sony DVD player currently, and it's the worst one I've ever owned, no exaggerating! 10 second delay between pressing any button on the machine and seeing the result. Tempted to bring my 360 back up to the main tv so I can enjoy movies properly. Except then I never get to game...
  • The WP platform is entirely based on MS unification. Part of that is the Xbox ecosystem.
    For Sony to adopt WP would mean that they also have the right to remove or significantly modify the Xbox aspect of the phone and create their own PS3 equivalent.
    I don't see this happening and even if MS did make this adjustment for Sony.
    Sony needs more control on future versions of the OS to be able to commit to WP.
    Maybe Win8 will allow them to branch out?
  • I downloaded the Windows 8 Consumer preview and XBox Live is integrated in the OS so what is Sony gonna do with that one. I don't think MS will give Sony preferential treatment and allow them to remove XBox from the W8 OS. So i suppose we'll not see anymore Sony laptops and tablets with W8 in the future. But then again, who cares!
  • Why do you guys think they are wrong?
     
    Actually, it's not so much no one cares about WP, it's more about the fact no one knows about WP, so how would they care?!
     
    Microsoft has got to push WP like Nokia does in Europe. Only then things will change.
  • Someone give them a dose of reality
     
    This makes no sense when you consider they are not exactly a premier Android partner. I Love Sony's designs and camera optics in the mobile space, but I can't imagine buying one of their android phones when you consider what Samsung and the Nexus line of phones bring to the table.
     
    Outside of an alternative to XBox Live or a competitor that sits along side XBox Live on all Sony Windows Phones, Sony Hardware with Windows Phone would make a lot of sense. They could easily rival Nokia on the hardware front and they could fairly quickly become relevent in the Windows Phone ecosystem. Today Windows Phone is a small player, but as Microsoft ties it to the hip of the XBox and Windows 8 Divisions, their current relevence will likely change very quickly. Why allow Nokia to become Apple Like in the Windows Phone ecosystem? 
     
    Their position, if this is really their position seems very short sighted when you look at their current relevence in the mobile space. 
  • I don't know if WP should depend on the Xbox connectivity. If we are talking about the 360, that's one thing. After that, I wouldn't depend on the WP and the Xbox connection being a sure bet. Especially if some of the rumors about MS decisions on what to do with the next Xbox have any truth to them.
  • Personally I don't want Sony to make a windows phone anyways..
  • Ewwe sony:)
  • The quote this article on doesn't seem to be a quote from anyone at sony - it seems to simply a paraphrase of what the original journalist thinks that sony is thinking.
  • The quote was made by Ray S of PhoneArena after a meeting at WMC with Sony's Stephen Sneeden, Product Marketing Manager for the Xperia line.
  • The last SE phone I had was the W580. And the buttons on the keypad broke after 2 weeks of use.
    F#%K you Sony. Keep your crappy phones to yourself. WP is better off without you.
  • Oh no! Stay classy Sony, Stay classy!
    I am admittedly a Sony fanboy. And this makes me sad, I can imagine how the new Xperia phones could rival the design of the Lumia phones.  The only thing I wouldn't touch in their product line is the Xperia line (except for the X1, I can remember when I was drooling for that) because of Android. Now I'm thinking over that Bravia, PS3, Vita and Vaio planned purchases. Though, I'm still buying the NEX. :)
     
  • Ahh Sony, the company thats good in making paper weights... The problem with Sony is that they don't get it.. Sony has been making products people really don't care about for quite a while.. Blu-ray is doing nothing for them. 3D may or may not take off.. The PS3 is pretty much a dissapointment with lack luster sales. The PSN was a disaster and its still far behing what Microsoft offers on the Xbox. Their TV's are nothing to write home about.. Since their electronics devision is taking. Their laptops are not doing well. PS Vita, there is a problem and it has yet to be noticed. We can go on and on and on.. Sony seems to be good in being behind in the game. Microsoft relationship with Sony has been pretty blah anyway.. Maybe this is a good thing because people dont care about Sony anyway.. They are just like the their slogan. "Make believe" to think they make real products that anyone cares about.. They can continue to stick with Android.. Sooner than later, they will wish they took on the WP.
     
  • The PS3 is a disappointment?
    In what reality?
  • It's last place in sales wayy behind the Xbox and behind the Wii.
  • I like my ps3... My only Sony product. It serves its purpose as my Netflix box.
  • No one will miss Sony. Their strategy to be come the Samurais if digital content has been a near complete failure and now they are just reinforcing that blunder by trying to compete for the bottom with HTC's Android juggernaut. Good luck with that. Imagine what their prospects might have been if they had chosen to be the first MSoft Windows Phone partner instead of Nokia? Look out your Corporate Windows Sony, that's a setting Sun, not a rising one.
  • Are people really going to express all this hate on Sony because of this one statement? Sure it's a bad move to say things like they did but do you really believe what they say isn't true? Windows phone isn't exactly doing well and is constantly being overshadowed by Android and iOS. Other phone makers don't seem to show an interest in WP either, sure they release one WP a year but then they make five different android phones. It seems clear which OS they prefer.  
  • Fact of the matter is, regardless of people's motives for the hate, the things they're saying are true. Sony will soon be in the position Nokia was in before they partnered with MS. PS3 isn't selling that well, blu-ray is already being made obsolete by streaming, and nobody is buying xperia phones. I've LITERALLY never seen one in the wild, and don't know anybody that owns or even wants one. They are posting losses in most divisions and struggling to remain relevant. Not even sure if WP would help them in this regard; they'd just be chasing Nokia's heels instead of Samsung's and HTC's.
  • I never thought Xperia phones were popular in the States to begin with and I can't really say I follow Sony's mobile phone division. But in regards to gaming, the PS3 isn't selling poorly. They definitely had a slow start by releasing a console with such a high price tag but in the subsequent years following price drops sales improved dramatically.   In most regions the PS3 outsells the 360 except in the US (360 has been on top each month for a year or so) and globally the PS3 is trailing by a relatively small amount. (The wii is untouchable at this point for either console). I agree with your other points however, but the comments on wanting to see Sony or any other compay fail for that matter make me sad. It's alway good to have variety in anything, electronics included unless we want one company to dominate an entire market like Apple is doing for tablets.
  • From where I'm sitting, WP seems to be the best chance anyone can get to re-emerge on the mobile market. And we just have to look at Nokia which seems to be doing fairly well.
  • Nokia is not doing well. They posted huge losses in their latest SEC filing and their stock dropped 6% immediately after their MWC device announcements failed to excite investors. They are in transition and may turn things around, but it's hard to say they're doing well currently.
  • Say what you will, but this makes me sad.
     
    My first "real" smartphone was a SonyEricsson P800 in the UK.  I upgraded to the P910i when it came out.
     
    They were so far ahead of everyone else back then, but since then, they've just stagnated.  They allowed Nokia to take the Symbian market and dominate, they allowed RIM to win in corporate e-mail, and they allowed Apple to completely steal the touchscreen-only phone market that they invented.
     
    Now they're just a purveyor of "me-too" Android handsets that could have been released by any of a dozen Android OEMs.
     
    It's just so sad.  They could have done something interesting with Windows Phone (or Android or anything else), but they're just a shadow of their former selves.  The innovation is gone.
  • This is a great time for Sony mobile to differentiate itself, Sony windows phone and wimdows8 tab/laptop/desktop..instead they create android phones that doesn't sell, I remember when Sony was the cool thing... Now a days no one cares about them..
    They should create windowsphone and advertised ot like crazy in Japan...
    waiting till Apollo is not a bad thing for windows phone.. Its the opposite
  • And that comes from a company who gets hacked and embarrassed every couple of weeks by anonymous. Windows Mobile 7 does not need to be associated with such a poor company. They can stick with the crap that's psvita.
  • Uhhh... Windows *Phone* 7. Yeah. ;)
  • Small percentage cares about windows right now bc wp7 is still behind on hardware & marketing but Nokia, windows 8 consumers & at&t should do the trick to make ppl realize there is a better option than Android & iPhone.
  • Who was it that said this specifically? I would make it my personal mission to embarrass this person... >=(
  • Personally I really, really don't care about Sony.  Sony is a company that for years has been trying to shove their proprietary technology down our throats instead of adaptating to industry standards.  So frankly I could care less about Sony and I hope they go down the gutter.  I love my Windows Phone and will continue to support it.  Sony, you want to be Apple-like but you never will.  Your products are over priced and over hyped.
  • I feel sorry, SONY, I love you, but I hav to say, You just miss the future.
  • Here Sony, I don't like to see a once iconic brand sinking like a stone (tosses anchor).
  • Sony??? WTF is that???
  • No one really cared about android when it was released...ios relied on ipod-turned-phone hype. MS was late to get on board but they are doing things right. Stable OS FTW! I for one care about WP, it does what I need.
  • This from a company whose flagship product, the PS3, is getting its ass handed to them by Microsoft's Xbox.
  • Sony (formerly Sony Ericsson) has said in the past that it's open to creating a Windows Phone device, but so far we've yet to see much of anything materialize, save for one leaked prototype. If the recent debuts of the Android-powered Xperia S, P and U have you thinking that Sony would make a nice Windows Phone device, well, unfortunately it doesn't sound like move from Sony Ericsson to Sony has changed the company's stance on Microsoft's platform. Speaking to PhoneArena, Stephen Sneeden, Sony's Product Marketing Manager for its Xperia line, said that Sony is still open to working with Windows Phone, but it sounds like the firm would like to see WP7 gain more traction with consumers before it'll begin work on any hardware. This news is definitely kind of a bummer for the Windows Phone crowd. It'd be interesting to see what kind of Windows Phone device Sony could craft now that it's taken the wraps off of the handsome trio of Xperia handsets mentioned earlier, but it's not clear when or if we'll see the company produce such a handset. If the Nokia Lumia 900's rumored $99.99 price point holds true, it could help pump up the platform's market share here in the U.S. and get Sony interested in Windows Phone. There's also Windows Phone 8 on the horizon, and we've already heard that Sprint may be waiting until the arrival of Apollo before pushing out a new Windows Phone device, so perhaps Sony will end up doing the same. Would any of you be interesting in a Sony-made Windows Phone?
  • By the way, it was Ray S of Phone Arena who originally made the quote of Stephen Sneeden, Sony's Product Marketing Manager for its Xperia line, after being asked why they're not making WP7 devices, Sneeden supposedly said and I quote "Because no one really cares about WP."
  • I got that from a website article lol
  • Ha ha, that's really funny they say that, o didn't think they actually made phones. I rather die then get a shitty Sony anything anyway. Only thing I have to say is that they obviously are trying to pull their company under. MS doesn't need that anyway. Who would really want to buy their crappy phone?
  • Sony is going down lol PS3 sales are still low than Xbox 360, not succeeding in mobile industry, and SNE is fail. With this, they can't even afford to buy WP licenses so they've stuck with android. Nokia, HTC, Samsung and LG are the up most OEMs that produces windows phones, so Sony, you've got a lot of guts to say "no one really cares about WP" when really you guys are still open with the idea and made a prototype on the first place when the platform was first announced. So it's not the WP ecosystem that has a problem, so shut up and stick to your failing xperia line.
  • Hope they fail miserably!
  • maybe Sony doesn't care to do anything because the numbers just aren't there? I doubt anyone would invest into something that isn't going to make them money! The numbers continue to show WP not doing that good, and you can blame MS for that, no one else. Every chart shows just about the same thing. WP has been out for a while now, and it should be showing positive, even a bit, but the numbers don't show it. I blame no one but MS, they just don't do enough, nor know how to properly market things. http://www.androidcentral.com/comscore-android-building-its-lead-samsung...
  • I fear they may be more right than people here are willing to admit.  I've been a Microsoft user for probably close to 30 years, since the days of DOS 3.3 and moved up through the years to Win7.  My 1st portable device was a WinMo 2003 and I've only become a WP user just under a year ago.  The ONLY place I see the fervent praises for WP is on sites like this one.
    You don't really see marketing here in the States by the cellular carriers.  Some like Sprint, barely offer the one phone.  For the carriers around my area it's either Android or iPhone.  You ask any of them about Windows, they tell you it's an old phone or some other nonsense.  You don't have developers developing for it like you did through the years with WinMo and without them, you don't have a platform.
    What's needed is for Microsoft to really start pushing this platform and showing the world and not just those of us who already own one, just what it can do and how it can do it better.  That's how they beat out Digital Research.  Anyone remember DR-DOS?  I sometimes feel like MS is just using WP as a corporate loss leader for tax purposes.
    I like my phone, I like the OS, I just wish that the powers that be actually acted like they did too.
  • Guys, cool it with the whole Philippines angle. I'm from the Philippines and that angle will just escalate the wrong way.
    Anyway, I own a WP7, and my friends own it. We show it off to friends but they're more hell bent on the status symbol of the iphone, or the blackberry or the android phones that tout 3D, or Dual Core processors (and later they complain about battery issues). 
    MS hasn't been marketing WP7 so much in the Philippines. But i hope Nokia releases its WP7 line here already. They should do so the soonest possible time. The Philippines was Nokia country for the longest time (hopefully still is). And if they release the Lumia here, people wouldn't care if it's a WP7. Only that it's a Nokia. They probably would buy it without caring its OS is WP.  Then maybe we can see more growth in the country.
     
  • I'm from the Philippines too, a recent convert to WP (Since almost 3 months ago), and I agree that MS doesn't market WP in the Philippines. I only learned about the platform through tech and phone sites like WPCentral. I bought my device by ordering through the internet and don't regret at all I did it! I still use my Android device but I find myself using my WP7 more and more each day so that now when I leave the house, I am never without my WP7!
    I wish Nokia WP phone would come to the Philippines because I'm sure, as they usually do, they'd properly market it. It's a remarkable OS that people need to know more about!
    Even as I speak, I'm salivating over the prospect of getting my hands on a future Nokia Lumia WP8 (Apollo) device!
  • ...and MS don't support Developers from our country. I for one tried to sign up on App Hub but they don't even list the Philippines in the Select Country dropdown menu.: https://users.create.msdn.com/Register
  • I didn't even read the previous comments. Sony is certainly burning bridges saying what they did. The number of comments here proves that. I'm just proud of myself for scrolling down this far!
  • I don't understand what they lose on at least putting out a few devices, it's not like they can't afford it.
  • I actually have a lot of Sony products and have recommended them to my family/friends before as well. But when they say stuff like this, I don't think I will be buying any more of their products. At least provide a plausible explanation, saying that no one cares about WP7 seems really childish and out of touch!
  • For a company who is trailing behind the likes of Samsung in the Android world, why would they close their options...IF Nokia ever releases the Lumia 900 and Sony notices its success then they'll probably make a prototype...how sad, a company who was once seen as innovative is now stuck as a "bandwagon" company...trying to piggy-back off of Samsung and HTC's success on Android just to stay relevant...
  • Well they still seam to make PC that's funny
  • wow the last sony product i owned was a cdplayer back in 99 needless to say i bought a ps3 after having an xbox for more than most people and i can say honestly when you compare it to the 360 the features are quite lacking sure it has bluray and 3d capability but thats tentative to who looks for that i can easily get a bluray player and i dont very much like the 3d cuz it hurts my eyes you cant party up with your friends and be isolated from the legions and legions of irritating children who play ps3 network connectivity blows bluetooth connection is trash over wireless always static (dont know if its just my headset) and the controller feels like it was designed for a woman after holding a 360 remote (no offense ladies i love your hands) ;) i returned it after only 23 days of owning it and have no regrets solely being loyal to my xbox. that being said im pretty sure id rather have hardware running microsofts software than sony hardware running googles and it isnt even top tier across the map. LONG LIVE HTC,SAMSUNG,MICROSOFT,NOKIA,XBOX!!! SONY keep your comments to yourself until you actually have the gonads to commit to something that requires risk and if your little ps3 app has anything to with it then we dont need you! :D have a nice day!
  • They only rely on Androids, but **** them, they're sooner or later gonna feel the impact of ditching WP as crappy OS, and that's gonna leave a mark on their budget. But then it's going to be already too late for the comeback. Leave them alone, they're gonna suffer, we still have the current manufacturers, Sony isn't a big fish that we should be sorry for losing in the market :)
  • Sony Ericsson phones are turrible, I wouldn't have one if you paid me.
  • Cool!!! Sony is still making phones? I did not know that. Guess it must be a European thing, cuz I don't see them in the AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon stores.
     
  • To be perfectly honest I would never purchase a Sony cell phone, Erickson or otherwise.  I cannot recall a Sony cell that one, was worth the high price tag, or two, was designed well (appealled).
    I prefer HTC, Samsung, and Nokia.  I used to love Sony products but every year my love for sony wanes. 
  • my company crap list
    1.Google
    2.Sprint
    3.Sony
    4.Apple
    :D
  • I think apple had to be first...they are always top everywhere..so why not here !
  • the only reason i put apple 4th is because unlike google, sprint, and sony they dont badmouth other peoples products all while maintaining a good hold of their fans not by bragging but just be having confidence in their products im not apple fan by any means but unlike their smug ifans googles fandroids and sonys uhhh w.e and sprints useless network they dont badmouth other peoples hard work and at least for that if only that i respect them i feel the minute you have to badmouth someone elses hard work you show how much of a jerk you really are. Steve jobs was a jerk but at least he had confidence in his products.
  • The only Sony products I care about are their Alpha line of cameras.  My a580 is a phenominal camera.  However, that's mostly because they bought out Konica Minolta's camera division some years ago and incorporated their tech with Sony image sensors.  Beyond cameras...  I could give a crap about Sony.
  • instead of poking at WPM, why dont they worry about their unselling devices....
  • I remember when Sony used to place a "It's a Sony!" label on every device they sold back in the 90's.  That was when Sony was a household electronics brand.  It was true that if it was a Sony, it was good quality.  It is crazy how a company with such a great reputation can sink so low.  Oh well, I don't really care if Sony makes a WP based phone or not.  It won't effect WP one way or the other.
  • I work for Sony Sales. We get calls all the time of customers wanting to buy the Arc S. I do not see what the big draw is, but that could be as I really love Windows Phones but barely look at Androids. I wish Sony would get the WP7 lovin. But, Nokia is my choice next. I love the Nokia Drive. No need to update my GPS.
  • Everybody's getting their panties in a bunch because what Sony is saying is the truth. The truth is hard to take sometimes. It should just make Microsoft work harder to promote it, plus buy Nokia and RIM to gain more market share. And WP users should tell as many people as possible about the platform. Not just complain because one manufacturer decided not to jump into the fray yet.
  • Sony has good quality devices like Arc S (I tried it) but I prefer Samsung (I own Galaxy S2). I own an Xperia X10 Mini pro and it's cute for music but useless for power users. The only one device I like to buy is a Xperia Live Walkman for jogging. I think this is the dimension of Sony. So, hands up for Nokia.
  • A very informative article and lots of really honest and forthright comments made ! This certainly got me thinking about this issue, thanks all.
    afghan attorneys
  • HELLO ALL MY DEAR FRIENDS 
    THIS IS MY FIRST POST TO ANY BLOG MY QUESTION IS WHY SONY IS MAKING ALOT OF ANDROID MOBILE PHONE? AND WHAT IS SOO SPECIAL ABOUT THIER DEVICES ? IF WE COMPARE SONY TO HTC NEW NOKIA BELLE AND WP7/8 THESE MOBILES HAVE SOME SPECIALITY BUT WHY SONY IS WASTING THIER MONEY NO ONE CARES ANY MORE ABOUT SONYMOBILES EVEN THEY HAVE GOT THE BIG NAME....:-)