14 DAY TRIAL // Japanese mobile phone maker Sony Mobile is reportedly getting ready for the launch of cheap smartphones with waterproof capabilities starting next year, after pioneering production of high-end devices with such features.
According to a recent article on DigiTimes, industry sources have suggested that the company might be considering the release of such handsets at a price tag lower than $300 (€217).
Last year, Sony launched the waterproof Xperia Z smartphone as a flagship device, and leading handset vendors around the world have adopted a similar design for their phones too.
However, it seems that the phone maker is actually determined to make waterproof handsets available in the mid- and entry-levels of the market as well, and that it will work together with component suppliers to ensure that this is possible.
At the moment, the company is expected to bring to the market mid-range waterproof phones with a price tag of around $400-$500 (€290-€363) attached to them.
Furthermore, looking at the entry-level market, the handset vendor is supposedly determined to release phones at less than $300, though still packing them with said water-resistance capabilities.
Said report from DigiTimes also suggests that ODMs in Taiwan are already prepared to receive orders for this kind of smartphones.
Regardless of whether entry level or mid range, these water-resistant handsets should ramp up sales, for both ODMs and phone vendors out there.
In fact, it appears that Sony might not be the only smartphone designer interested in pushing the waterproof design of mobile devices to new market segments, and that other companies might also join the party.
Among vendors supposedly interested in this, we can count Samsung, LG, HTC, Motorola Mobility, Lenovo and K-Touch.
Waterproof smartphones saw increased popularity among mobile phone users both last year and in 2014, and they are expected to grow even more moving forth.
Thus, it does not come as a surprise that mobile phone makers are considering expanding their reach to more segments of the market, so as to ensure that they see more traction among end users.
This will certainly happen, considering that many people will want to own handsets that can withstand splashes or being submerged under water. In the end, they won’t need to take as much care of their phones as they do at the moment.
What remains to be seen, however, is how many of the leading mobile phone makers out there will actually decide to launch handsets with waterproof capabilities packed inside. Stay tuned for more on this.