Sony announced they were going to release the FOMA SO902i on 3/10 only to delay that another 10 days because of some software bug. Now it will finally come out on 3/21 almost 6 MONTHS!! after the first product announcement. It really makes me wonder what in hell they are doing there in Sony. All the other manufacturers had their 902 handsets out in December, except Sony. Yes it is a new design (sort of) and I can imagine that more testing would be required, but of all the other 902i models, the SO902i has the least number of features. Sony seems quick to release product concepts and prototypes but very slow in rolling them out. They probably have small streamlined teams of engineers and designers that can crank out new stuff quickly but then those products get lost in layer after layer of process and procedure that’s only there because every department has to cover their ass. Of course, this is common in all big companies. No one wants to be responsible for someone else’s goof up, so everyone’s approval is required. With the PS3, I think people will wait because there is no real competitor. But in the keitai world, I don’t think there will be much hoopla about the SO902i anymore. It’s already out of date.
I’ve been waiting for this damn phone forever, too. Whilst I like Sony’s desire to release perfect products, delay is bad (PS3 anyone?)
What’s worse is that this is NOT a new design. My wife has the Premini II, which is basically this design, only smaller.
Sony needs to get on the ball!
Yeah, about the layers of “approvals” needed. I once saw a piece of paper with one line of instructions which required 5 hankos on it. How did they manage to get things done?
Ren, it is a new phone in that this is the first FOMA Sony is putting out. I don’t know how much work is involved in converting the PDC Premini2 hardware/software to FOMA but I guess it’s significant. Also, at press release they said it would not support Mobile Suica but somewhere in January it all of a sudden did. They were probably pressured to support it so decided to delay the launch to get that done. Apple’s got it right when they announce a product and it’s available the next day (usually) get the consumer while he/she is still excited.
Saffron, it not just Japanese companies that need those hankos..
My Xbox 360 is very much real, thank you. People will wait because they want a PS3. The two consoles are not competing on exactly the same market because the games are not cross-compatible. But cellphones are compatible because you can still call people who have different phones than yourself.
I never said that Xbox 360 is a competitor to PS3.
Just that a lot of people see it as the battle of the consoles kind of thing. And the some of the fanboys just make it worse.
I for one hope to get the PS3 as well one day. (If I manage to save money for it)