[Sony Xperia Z Ultra] Ryland Johnson:
Product identity and consumer understanding.

Grab a coffee, this could be a long post...........

Like most of us I spend a fair amount of time reading various reports, industry reviews and forum posts. There is an awful lot of confusion with regard to mobile devices.

When is a mobile phone a mobile phone and when is a tablet a tablet? Part of the sales problems with the in between range of devices is identity. Unofficially we have named them 'phablets'. This IS important. Far to many professional reviewers write about the size of over 5" screens as being to big and not mobile. I tend to agree with them. Hang on. I tend to agree with them when they review said device as a mobile phone. IF we could officially adopt an industry name and categorisation such as 'phablet' this would reduce customer confusion and also help with sales and customer satisfaction.

When the net book was introduced they initially came out with an 8" screen. Toshiba made them, started a whole new segment in the portable device section. Consumers then purchased them and moaned about the screen being too small! Next model came with a 9" then 10" then before we new it we where in the lap top range so customers reverted back to lap tops and the net book died.

Then came the ultra book with an Intel industry specification. That seems to have worked as the industry has kept to that specification thus there is zero identity crisis when one purchases an ultra book.

The Xperia Ultra et al are not true mobile phones. With this is mind such devices come under an awful lot of fire as reviewers compare such devices with, for example, the Apple 5S. rather absurd when one thinks about it BUT understandable because as yet the term 'phablet' is unofficial. it matters, identity matters to avoid wrong and negative comparison.

IF those who make 'phablets' call them 'phablets' and box them as 'phablets' the consumer can make a much more educated choice of purchase.

The Ultra and those of a similar size should be marketed as a new breed of device, their strengths should be highlighted and that way this constant comparison game wold stop. No one reviews a car with a motor bike! Tow different machines.

I would very much like to see an industry standard with regard to this situation and each device market under that criteria. So much criticism is aimed at the Ultra also Note and Mega etc as being too big as a mobile phone. They ARE! They are not too big if we call them what they are...vis,,,a phablet

A phablet is not a mobile phone nor a tablet so why should we not celebrate the difference and concentrate on our phablets strengths?

Comparing this with vehicle sales, The classification of a 'city car' is a small run about, A city car is not suitable for a family of six nor long journeys that is why car manufacturers came up with the MPU and the large family car.

An MPV would not sell well as a car yet cannot be compared with a mini bus. Bingo a new catagorisation of a vehicle. Same with the SUV and 4X4.

To Joe public this boxing of different vehicles makes sense and no one would compare a city car with an MPV. No crisis of identity. We like to place things in boxes to label things its human nature.

Words and correct identification matter. Sales and consumer opinion matter. To this end we could boost sales also have a greater customer level of satisfaction if we called out Ultra et al what it is and not what it is not. What is the problem with the large companies marketing their phablets as phablets?

Just another ramble.

Ryland

I posted this in another thread bit thought it may well be best in a thread of its own?