Sony: new music player and results of the launch of the PSP in Europe
Author: Matt Gaines
The inventor of the Walkman is now set to face David Apple, a true Goliath in the market for music players. The Japanese will launch by the end of the year a new line of music players to compete with different versions of the iPod.
In addition, Sony has announced the results of the launch of its multimedia PSP console in Europe. Sony may have overtaken the area of music players (74% market share for Apple’s iPod), but his first foray into the world of portable consoles, the Japanese signed a success.
NW-A3000 and NW-A1000
Pebble-shaped, these two models are an opportunity for Sony to try to recapture the area of music players. The NW-A3000 is equipped with a drive of 20 gigabytes, which places it in the category of players with great ability in which Sony has already attempted an entry (see article).
The second model will be available in four colors (that do not remember the iPod Mini?) And have a hard disk of 6 GB. The NW-A1000 is the first test of the electronics giant in the industry players to drive small capacity.
The prices of these two models should range from 255 euros for the 20GB version and 220 euro for the model equipped with 6 GB
In parallel, Sony will launch a new series of small players (capacity between 512 MB and 2 GB) equipped with an FM tuner. The Japanese also announced a new version of its software “Connect Player”, with a streamlined interface and new features.
PSP: success
Sony has released figures for the launch of its PSP handheld console in Europe. The success that the Japanese saw in him did not lie in the arrival of its high-tech gadget on the Old Continent.
In four days, 100 000 copies were snatched in France. The United Kingdom is better, with 185 000 consoles sold in three days. The PSP is still available from most distributors: Sony before, in fact planned 1 million copies for the European launch.
Regarding games, 130 000 were sold in France over the same period and 25 000 movies for sale on the support of the PSP, the UMD discs.
The brand expects for 2005 a record turnover on the French market, which could reach 800 million euros.