■ Serialization / Smartphone conference of Takayuki Horin, Atsushi Ishikawa, Junya Ishino, Asako Fusano
"Smartphone talk" that you can understand the back side of the industry by four people who are interviewing at the forefront of the smartphone industry. This time, we will discuss the latest Android smartphones, focusing on the Pixel series.
* We are holding an internet conference to prevent the spread of new coronavirus infection.
Mr. Fusano: The latest Android smartphones are being announced one after another by each manufacturer. What kind of impression did you have?
Mr. Fusano
Mr. Ishikawa: Since the latest model of iPhone will be released from September to October every year, Androids will be announcing a series of featured products from mid-August as a countermeasure. What is noteworthy is that the two folding models of Galaxy are becoming more attractive by keeping prices down while evolving.
While Google's Pixel has been able to differentiate its high-end "Pixel 6" with its self-developed processor "Google Tensor," the "Pixel 5a (5G)" is annoying.
Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
Pixel 6
In-house developed processor "Google Tensor" (image)
Pixel 5a (5G)
Mr. Ishikawa
Mr. Ishino: You can hardly see the evolution from the previous model "Pixel 4a (5G)".
Mr. Ishino
Ishikawa: That's right ~. I wonder if I can change the model number. Other manufacturers sell for 30,000 to 40,000 yen, but how about the price of 51,700 yen? I think it would have been better if it was a little cheaper.
Mr. Ishino: Xiaomi and OPPO have released terminals with similar specifications for about 40,000 yen, but it is also true that there are concerns about OS updates. In that sense, Pixel has a three-year warranty and is able to differentiate itself.
Also, since the "Pixel 5" and "Pixel 4a (5G)" have been sold out, only the latest model is available for those who are thinking of buying a new Pixel from now on. The Pixel 5a (5G) is cheaper than the Pixel 5, so I think it's totally useless.
Mr. Ishikawa: In the first place, the lineup itself in 2020 seemed to be bare, so I get the impression that it is still dragging.
Mr. Ishino: Maybe the 2020 Pixel 4a (5G) was irregular, and since there was a Pixel 4a, it didn't have to be, but it was decided to sell it. At that time, the only CPU that supported 5G was the Snapdragon 765G, even if it was the cheapest. As a result of adopting it unavoidably, the price was halfway at about 60,000 yen. Previously it was set as a low-priced model, but the price and specifications have become too high for the "Pixel a" series. This time Pixel 5a (5G) seems to have come out as a low-priced version of Pixel 5 in the true sense.
Ishikawa: The result was that I couldn't really see what Google wanted to do. Also, it is said that "the only one in the world that Softbank handles", but other carriers do not handle it. There is no strategy to sell to carriers as aggressively as Apple does. It feels like both DoCoMo and au have decided that they are "unsellable terminals," which is a pain.
Mr. Horin: The timing when the budget on the carrier side is quite limited due to the Korona-ka. It is also a story that no sleeves can be shaken.
Some developers sell only in Japan and the United States, but if they don't sell in Japan, some developers are in trouble, and others are looking for a "model model" meaning like the old "Nexus" series in the Pixel series. Considering it as a Google terminal, I personally think that this model change is possible.
Mr. Horin
Mr. Ishino: I've heard that Google wants to increase its share of Android anyway. Many iPhone users choose Safari as their browser, and if the search is done from Safari, Google will pay Apple. I did some research, but the amount of this payment is over 1 trillion yen a year.
When thinking about which country to sell the Pixel 5a (5G) while it is not possible to mass-produce smartphones due to lack of semiconductors, Japan, which has about half the share of the iPhone, and the United States also have a high share of the iPhone, so we will compete. It is necessary to put it in as a measure. In Europe, I think it's a good idea to have Android OS users such as Xiaomi and OPPO do their best.
Mr. Horin: The problem of semiconductor shortage is quite serious, and I heard that it is not the dimension of lack of chipsets, but it seems that various things can not be made.
Mr. Ishino: In addition to CPUs and GPUs, various semiconductors are used in smartphones, such as display controllers and charging ICs. Of course, if any one is missing, you cannot make a smartphone.
Mr. Horin: It seems that the power supply is particularly difficult. Whether it's a smartphone or a PC, the power supply is an important part, so if this production stagnates, it will be tough.
Mr. Ishino: Apple also announced before the announcement of the new iPhone that it may run out of semiconductors.
Mr. Fusano: ASUS has also released "Zenfone 8 / Zenfone 8 Flip".
Zenfone 8 Flip
Mr. Horin: Does "Zenfone 8 Flip" have a feeling now, or is it still necessary to have a gimmick to rotate the camera in the era of folding smartphones? I thought. On the other hand, I wonder if "Zenfone 8" did its best.
However, I have the impression that the method of notification is not good enough. In order to sell seriously in Japan, it is difficult to make a proper system and announce it. Even Xiaomi and OPPO are manufacturers with limited popularity. ASUS's way is a little loose.
Zenfone 8
Mr. Ishikawa: It feels like the policy within ASUS has changed.
Mr. Ishino: "Zenfone 8" has the topic of being compatible with Osaifu-Keitai for the first time in the series, but it feels more honest now.
Mr. Horin: It also supports waterproof and dustproof.
Mr. Ishikawa: The size is compact, which is good for me as a lover of small smartphones, but in order for ASUS to be actively supported in the SIM fleece smartphone market as before, did you want a little more impact on the product?
Mr. Ishino: ASUS has stopped selling the middle range according to the policy of the head office. In the current flow, it is usually in the middle range if you want to put an Osaifu-Keitai. So, I wanted to compete with OPPO and Xiaomi, but I was a little disappointed that the high-end model would be equipped with Osaifu-Keitai at this timing.
ASUS was once the top manufacturer of SIM-free smartphones in terms of market share. However, if Osaifu-Keitai is installed later than the younger OPPO and Xiaomi, I wonder if the Japanese market is not important.
Mr. Horin: It may be a pity to say that it is halfway, but the approach around here is a little delicate.
Mr. Ishikawa: I'm a little skeptical about how much ASUS manufactures.
Mr. Horin: It is undeniable that ODM (a form in which the contractor handles everything from product design to development) may be pulling from some factory.
Also, it's a personal speculation, but I think there are some ODM makers that make smartphones for Japan that have successfully incorporated FeliCa modules. Otherwise, I don't think it can be explained that SIM-free smartphones equipped with FeliCa have been announced all at once recently. When OPPO first installed FeliCa, it was said that FUJISOFT was fully cooperating, but I feel that it was being developed at a different level than at that time.
Ishikawa: I think so too. Even with Xiaomi, I am wondering how much they are involved in production in-house.
Mr. Ishino: I feel that FeliCa Networks is also playing an active role behind the scenes.
Mr. Fusano: In China, Huawei announced the latest flagship model "HUAWEI P50" series. How about this?
P50 Pro
Mr. Horin: I was impressed that Leica had such a way of assembling, but I felt that it was a story in a distant country.
Mr. Ishikawa: It was a pity that we could only install 4G, even though we were a manufacturer that worked hard with 5G.
Mr. Fusano: Will the "HUAWEI P50" series be exclusively sold in China?
Mr. Ishino: Even if it becomes a monopoly in China, it can not be sold unless it is compatible with 5G, and even low-end smartphones are compatible with 5G, so if the high-end terminal is only 4G, we will sell a lot of units. Isn't it difficult? The tablet is made only with Wi-Fi communication, avoiding the restrictions well.
Mr. Horin: Also the PC. I think Huawei will do its best with PCs and tablets in the Japanese market.
Mr. Ishino: That's right. The variety of apps is not as wide as that of smartphones, so if you have software that replaces Office, you may be able to do it for a while.
Mr. Horin: Also, maybe smart watches or audio systems. It's a fierce battlefield, though.
Mr. Fusano: On a different note, SoftBank has released a price plan dedicated to data communication, and DoCoMo has released the official start date of the home router plan. How about this?
Mr. Ishikawa: To be honest, I'm not sure about Softbank's "3GB for data communication" plan, or I wonder why it is necessary to tie up for 5 years with "5-year discount (data communication) (5 years)". Also, when considering the communication environment five years from now, why do you think that 3GB is enough? I get the impression that the settings are incorrect in the first place.
DoCoMo's "home 5G" has always been something that President Ii wanted to do in order to compete with Softbank's "Softbank Air", so it seems like it's finally time to participate. In addition, au has also revised the price in opposition.
Telework has become commonplace, and it has become difficult to achieve communication speeds in condominiums and other condominiums. For such a person, there is a merit to introduce it. It's a product that should be released by March before the start of a new life, so the timing of its release is late, but I would like to pay attention to it for next year.
home 5G
Mr. Ishino: I would like DoCoMo to actively release models that allow the antenna to extend outside the house. The high frequency band of 5G makes it difficult to get inside the house. With the current model lineup alone, there is no choice but to install it near the window.
Mr. Horin: There are manufacturers that make the software that is the basis of routers, and most of the household routers sold in Japan buy software from such manufacturers. However, you have added UI in-house and devised communication companies.
Mr. Ishino: In the case of old condominiums, VDSL (a mechanism that uses a metal line for telephone to wire to each room in the condominium) or fixed lines that the condominium rents all at once, communication usage is concentrated. It is difficult to get the speed during the time when it ends up. There is unexpected demand for home routers, isn't it?
Mr. Horin: The main target is the younger generation who live alone for rent and those in their twenties who are working. I'm not at home during the day, but at night I'm probably the one who comes back and uses the line. When you get married and buy a house or build a new house, you will probably go in the direction of drawing an optical line or choosing the CATV Internet.
Mr. Ishino: In many cases, the lines in condominiums are often postponed, and which lines can be used at what speed are not properly disclosed. When I move in, the communication speed may be slow even though it is a new construction. I think that people who are dissatisfied with the speed may come to a handy home router as a result of telework or stay home.
Mr. Horin: Originally, the fixed line communication speed would not be necessary if you use it alone, but it would be quite difficult for each inhabitant living in an apartment to start teleworking at the same time.
Ishikawa: Until now, I often downloaded. Even if the communication speed was a little slow, I should have waited for a while. However, video conferences and the like require real-time communication. In the last two years or so, the way the Internet is used has changed dramatically.
However, although DoCoMo's commercial says that the world will change, it's a bit of a catch, or Softbank has been saying it for several years, so I want to dig in.
Mr. Fusano: Is DoCoMo's home router a lease?
Mr. Horin: Basically, it is a purchase, but DoCoMo has the former "Monthly Support Discount", and if you use it for 3 years, the main body will be free.
......Continue!
Next time, we are planning to have a meeting about the new "iPhone 13 (tentative)". Please stay tuned.
Takayuki Horin writes review articles for digital-related products such as smartphones, mobile phones, and personal computers, and commentary articles for beginners, focusing on Web media and magazines. He has written many books such as manuals. Opinion number of the mobile industry.
Atsushi Ishikawa After joining Nikkei Home Publishing Co., Ltd. (currently Nikkei BP), he became independent in 2003. He covers not only domestic carriers and manufacturers, but also Google and Apple. He appeared as a lecturer on NHK E-Tele "Hobby Doki! My First Smartphone". He is publishing an e-mail magazine "Smartphone Industry Newspaper (540 yen per month)".
Junya Ishino Joined Takarajimasha after graduating from Keio University. After becoming independent, he has been active in a wide range of media as a mobile journalist / writer. He has authored numerous books such as "Keitai Children" (Softbank new book) and "Easy to understand in one hour" (Mainichi Shimbun).
After being involved in editing mobile phone magazines at Asako Fusano Publishing, she became independent as a freelance writer from 2002. As one of the few female writers in the mobile industry, she writes in magazines and web media, focusing on introducing mobile devices from a female perspective.
Composition / Mikihiro Nakama / Fumihiko Sato