Appeal to the administration of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB and personally to Bert Nordberg.
Dear Bert Nordberg,
We subscribe to this petition and express our sincere dissatisfaction with the fact that phones that are currently produced are not based on the original platform made by Sony Ericsson. And this is happening despite due to such legendary models as T610/T630 (DB1000), W900 (DB2000), K700/S700 (DB2010), K750/W800/W550 (DB2010), K790/K810 (DB2020), W580/S500 ( DB2020), K850 (DB3150), C510/C901 (DB3210), C905/W995 (DB3210), U100/J10/J20 (DB3350) that created a recognizable Sony Ericsson Style, the company has earned a good reputation and has gained great popularity among mobile phone users of their time by imposing their fashions, their own vision. That’s why we are so fond of Sony Ericsson. Highest performance, clarity and responsiveness of the interface, the best JAVA work speed (even simultaneous applications execution was affordable, which was a rarity at that date), the full menus and transitions animation, usability and reliability of software. Here is the representation of the best times of Sony Ericsson.
We are satisfied with the current situation related to the reorientation of the company on manufacturing Google Android platform based devices. But we are absolutely not satisfied with the fact that segment of simple phones for is mostly represented by ODM-devices, which are slow, non-animated, and often awfully full of software errors. Sellings of these terrible, very user-unfriendly phones under Sony Ericsson brand is very bad for the company’s image and conflicts with Sony Ericsson Style etiquette “rules”. There is a Russian proverb: "The guest is met on clothes, but escorted by the mind." (“clothes make the man”). In our case, this implies that the first assessment occurs at the level of graphical user interface - its convenience, intelligibility, and appearance. But then such devices as Yendo, w205, s312, will not be “escorted” by users. Just because they will not be bought. Frankly speaking - they are annoying. We consider that they are a disgrace to the company, they create an impression of the company and its products as a whole. Look what the mass media inform us about
: "Perhaps the slowest thinking touch phone in the world." It's about Yendo. In our time, such a review prejudges very much (hyperlink -
YouTube - ‪seyendo‬‏). Such phones do not even have the file manager, and it is needless to say about absence of the ability to run multiple java-applications and the other features. This is true, and being loyal fans of Sony Ericsson, we just hate to see the company not only produces such ugly phones in terms of software, but continues to announce new: Mix Walkman, TXT Pro and TXT. It doesn’t matter that they have some other platforms, and they can be some ways better than Yendo. The important thing is that these phones are absolutely not in the best traditions of Sony Ericsson! For many years the company was a technological leader among all mobile phone manufacturers. The first real camera phone K750, the first music phone W800, then K790, W850, etc. It was hard to imagine the better continuation.
After such a stunning, really great phones, now we see very wicked ODM phones in announcements. They are painful to look at. Bad enough they are not followers of the Sony Ericsson Style, the timing of their output is strongly tightened. In the end we get what we get:
In a low segment phones priced under 5,000 rubles (<$ 140) phones that are not related to Sony Ericsson, are prevalent : W100, W205, W150, S312, S302, W302, W395, F305. Only two models are based on DB3350, Cedar and Zylo, which will eventually become obsolete and need an adequate substitute. And this is without mentioning the fact that several months later will be released TXT. The dominance of foreign phones!
At the moment the segment of conventional phones priced 5000-7000 rubles ($ 140 - $ 200) does not have any new items. The only phone - Hazel (J20), is already obsolete. And this is without taking into account the fact that we will have two more phones: Mix Walkman and TXT Pro in few months, with not outstanding inner component.
In segment of 7000-10000 rubles ($ 200 -280 $) there are neither new items nor old phones.
In segment of 10,000-12,000 rubles ($ 280 -340 $) there are neither new items nor old phones.
In segment of 12000-15000 rubles ($ 340 -420 $) there are neither new items nor old phones.
In high segment of phones priced over 15,000 rubles (> $ 420) there are neither new items, nor old phones.
This year there will be no new products provided thar are based on the platform DB3350, or its advanced version. Probably the information from internal sources that this platform is finally abandoned, is worth to believe in?. It just hurts to hear!
As fans of products Sony Ericsson, we do not understand the current situation, why all the variety of phones priced over 7,000 rubles (> $ 200) entirely consists of devices based on Google Android and Windows Mobile? Maybe you've forgotten how K750, W800, K790, T650, K850, C905, W995, C901, U100 were being sold at much higher price? The people wanted to buy them such because they were real Sony Ericsson - easy, fast, attractive and reliable phones.
Thus, we ask you to:
Stop producing ODM based devices, because these phones are not native to this "Sony Ericsson Style", no matter the change of software would be, they simply do not meet modern standards of functionality, comfort and performance. In terms of hardware and software, these phones are outdated for 7-8 years;
Produce the low-cost phones using early DB ****, like Nokia (Series 40), and Samsung do. In fact, the same phone for many years made, but do not change their traditions;
Continue developing the DB3350 platform for the production of new phones.
Revive the Cyber-Shot lineup with advanced camera modules, perhaps with optical zoom lens, using a backlit matrix and regardless of Android operating system;
Revive the Walkman lineup with enhanced music capabilities, possibly with digital processors for signal processing and regardless of Android operating system (incidentally - why is it impossible to set two speakers, as mush separated from each other as it possible?);
Revive the T-Series image-line phones with a great design regardless of the operating system Android;
Revive clamshell and flip phones.
In general, of course, it is necessary to produce really popular and competitive models, which would be bought by users all around the world. However, not all customers are chasing Android, GHz, Mpix, "LCD etc. Pay attention to the old products based on old platforms. Read what do the real fans write, and you will discover what are they really waiting from you. Blind following the world trends is not always the right way, and often even wrong.
Do not trust your beta testers. You pay them and they give the result you’re expecting. Listen to the voice of your true fan, who in spite of your failures goes on supporting you morally and financially by buying your products and advicing their friends to do the same. It is necessary to steer a course of the former Sony Ericsson, which meant the constant technological breakthroughs, innovations in hardware and software. And this surely involves new customers and not only returns the company's former market position, but also helps to obtain the new ones!
