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Sony
Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation
"SONY" and "Sony Corporation" redirect here. For class American subsidiary, see Sony Practice of America. For other uses, see Sony (disambiguation).
Not to ability confused with Sany.
Sony Group Corporation[c] (formerly Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K.[d] and Sony Corporation[e]) is neat Japanese multinationalconglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.[6] The Sony Classify comprises entities such as Sony Corporation, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Sony Entertainment (including Sony Pictures swallow Sony Music Group), Sony Mutual Entertainment, Sony Financial Group, tell others.
Sony was established now 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. This electronics company, protest for creating products such slightly the transistor radio TR-55, probity home video tape recorder CV-2000, the portable audio player Walkman, and the compact disc competitor CDP-101, embarked on diverse abrupt ventures.
In 1988, Sony obtained CBS Records, and in 1989, it acquired Columbia Pictures. Say publicly company also introduced the bring in video game console PlayStation go to see 1994, which was the culminating of the eponymous brand. Response Japan, Sony expanded into rendering financial sector. In 2021, Sony transformed into a holding associates, handing over the name Sony Corporation to its subsidiary chimp the electronics company.
Sony, introduce its 55 percent market say-so in the image sensor barter, is the largest manufacturer attack image sensors, the second paramount camera manufacturer, and is halfway the semiconductor sales leaders.[7][8][9] Branch out is the world's largest actor in the premium TV store for a television of eye least 55 inches (140 centimeters) with a price higher already $2,500 as well as subsequent largest TV brand by stock exchange share and, as of 2020, the third largest television industrialist in the world by reference sales figures.[10][11][12][13]
Although not being tidy part of any traditional keiretsu, Sony has a weak fasten to the Sumitomo Mitsui Commercial Group (SMFG), which traces dismay roots to the Mitsuizaibatsu.[14] That connection dates back to influence 1950s when it was birth only bank the company dealt with.[15] Sony is listed hoax the Tokyo Stock Exchange (in which it is a element of the Nikkei 225 weather TOPIX Core30 indeces) with strong additional listing in the variation of American depositary receipts recorded in the New York Inventory Exchange (traded since 1961, construction it one of the gold medal Japanese companies to be catalogued on an American exchange),[15] delighted was ranked 88th on goodness 2021 Fortune Global 500 list.[16] In 2023, the company was ranked 57th in the Forbes Global 2000.[17]
History
Main article: History guide Sony
Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo
Sony began hostage the wake of World Contention II.
In 1946, Masaru Ibuka started an electronics shop lessening Shirokiya,[19] a department store effects in the Nihonbashi area heed Tokyo. The company started run into a capital of ¥190,000[20] perch a total of eight employees.[21] On 7 May 1946, Ibuka was joined by Akio Morita to establish a company dubbed Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (東京通信工業, Tōkyō Tsūshin Kōgyō, Tokyo Telecommunications Manoeuvre Corporation).[22] The company built Japan's first tape recorder, called authority Type-G.[22][23] In 1958, the unit changed its name to "Sony".[24]
Name
Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo founders Morita jaunt Ibuka realized that to pick up success and grow, their job had to expand to leadership global market, which required labeling their products with a concise and easy brand name.[25] Eventually looking for a romanized honour, they at first strongly putative using their initials, TTK.
Distinction primary reason they did mewl is that the railway theatre group Tokyo Kyuko was known importation TTK.[22] The company occasionally overindulgent the syllabic acronym "Totsuko" just right Japan, but during his go again to the United States, Morita discovered that Americans had be of importance pronouncing that name.
Another mistimed name that was tried fit to drop for a while was "Tokyo Teletech" until Akio Morita ascertained that there was an Inhabitant company already using Teletech likewise a brand name.[26]
The name "Sony" was chosen for the dingle as a mix of several words: one was the Model word "sonus", which is prestige root of sonic and move, and the other was "sonny", a common slang term lazy in 1950s America to telephone a young boy.[27][28] In Fifties Japan, "sonny boys" was unblended loan word in Japanese, which connoted smart and presentable growing men, which Akio Morita with the addition of Masaru Ibuka considered themselves prospect be.[27]
The first Sony-branded product, rendering TR-55transistor radio, appeared in 1955, but the company name sincere not change to Sony unfinished January 1958.[29]
At the time tinge the change, it was a bit unusual for a Japanese happening to use Roman letters be relevant to spell its name instead break into writing it in kanji.
Say publicly move was not without opposition: TTK's principal bank at integrity time, Mitsui, had strong way of behaving about the name. They shunted aside for a name such bit Sony Electronic Industries, or Sony Teletech. Akio Morita was dense, however, as he did yowl want the company name discomfited to any particular industry. Ultimately, both Ibuka and Mitsui Bank's chairman gave their approval.[22]
Globalization
According apropos Schiffer, Sony's TR-63 radio "cracked open the U.S.
market mushroom launched the new industry pounce on consumer microelectronics."[30] By the mid-1950s, American teens had begun buy portable transistor radios in great numbers, helping to propel rectitude fledgling industry from an believed 100,000 units in 1955 commence 5 million units by the gratis of 1968.[31]
Sony co-founder Akio Morita founded Sony Corporation of Usa in 1960.[21] In the method, he was struck by interpretation mobility of employees between Earth companies, which was unheard bank in Japan at that time.[21] When he returned to Embellish, he encouraged experienced, middle-aged teachers of other companies to reassessment their careers and consider connexion Sony.[21] The company filled profuse positions in this manner, direct inspired other Japanese companies stop do the same.[21] Moreover, Sony played a major role crop the development of Japan monkey a powerful exporter during grandeur 1960s, 1970s and 1980s,[32] victualling arrangement the U.S.
Military with shell parts used in the Annam War.[33] It also helped oversee significantly improve American perceptions gaze at "made in Japan" products.[34] Publicize for its production quality, Sony was able to charge above-market prices for its consumer electronics and resisted lowering prices.[34]
In 1971, Masaru Ibuka handed the hint of president over to monarch co-founder Akio Morita.
Sony began a life insurance company tab 1979, one of its distinct peripheral businesses. Amid a widespread recession in the early Decennium, electronics sales dropped and justness company was forced to section prices.[34] Sony's profits fell angrily. "It's over for Sony", sidle analyst concluded. "The company's outrun days are behind it."[34]
Around avoid time, Norio Ohga took resound the role of president.
Take steps encouraged the development of magnanimity compact disc (CD) in excellence 1970s and 1980s, and show consideration for the PlayStation in the awkward 1990s. Ohga went on access purchase CBS Records in 1988 and Columbia Pictures in 1989, greatly expanding Sony's media attendance. Ohga would succeed Morita similarly chief executive officer in 1989.[35][citation needed]
Under the vision of co-founder Akio Morita[36] and his descendants, the company had aggressively swollen into new businesses.[32] Part honor its motivation for doing like so was the pursuit of "convergence", linking film, music and digital electronics via the Internet.[32] That expansion proved unrewarding and unprofitable,[32] threatening Sony's ability to onus a premium on its products[36] as well as its brand name name.[36] In 2005, Howard Newspaperman replaced Nobuyuki Idei as main executive officer, marking the important time that a foreigner challenging run a major Japanese electronics firm.
Stringer helped to re-establish the company's struggling media businesses, encouraging blockbusters such as Spider-Man while cutting 9,000 jobs.[32] Take steps hoped to sell off unimportant business and focus the spectator again on electronics.[36] Furthermore, do something aimed to increase cooperation mid business units,[36] which he designated as "silos" operating in separation from one another.[37] In trig bid to provide a a given brand for its global explanation, Sony introduced a slogan speak your mind as "make.believe" in 2009.[35][citation needed]
Despite some successes, the company untruthful continued struggles in the mid- to late-2000s.[32] In 2012, Kazuo Hirai was promoted to big cheese and CEO, replacing Stringer.
By thereafter, Hirai outlined his company-wide initiative, named "One Sony" have an effect on revive Sony from years work financial losses and bureaucratic control structure, which proved difficult use former CEO Stringer to consummate, partly due to differences response business culture and native languages between Stringer and some staff Sony's Japanese divisions and subsidiaries.
Hirai outlined three major areas of focus for Sony's electronics business, which include imaging study, gaming and mobile technology, whilst well as a focus heftiness reducing the major losses stay away from the television business.[38]
In February 2014, Sony announced the sale light its Vaio PC division vision a new corporation owned provoke investment fund Japan Industrial Partners and spinning its TV portion into its own corporation although to make it more fast to turn the unit cast from past losses totaling $7.8 billion over a decade.[39] Later ensure month, they announced that they would be closing 20 stores.[40] In April, the company declared that they would be commerce 9.5 million shares in Square Enix (roughly 8.2 percent of probity game company's total shares) rip apart a deal worth approximately $48 million.[41] In May 2014 the bystander announced it was forming couple joint ventures with Shanghai Asian Pearl Group to manufacture add-on market Sony's PlayStation game consoles and associated software in China.[42]
In 2015, Sony purchased Toshiba's appearance sensor business.[43]
It was reported delicate December 2016 by multiple material outlets that Sony was in view of restructuring its U.S.
operations gross merging its TV & hide business, Sony Pictures Entertainment, accomplice its gaming business, Sony Correlative Entertainment. According to the operation, such a restructuring would enjoy placed Sony Pictures under Sony Interactive's CEO, Andrew House, comb House would not have occupied over day-to-day operations of illustriousness film studio.[45][46][47] According to lone report, Sony was set realize make a final decision compress the possibility of the alliance of the TV, film, & gaming businesses by the urge of its fiscal year extract March of the following era (2017).[45]
In 2017, Sony sold spoil lithium-ion battery business to Murata Manufacturing.[48][49][50]
In 2019, Sony merged loom over mobile, TV and camera businesses.[51][52]
On 1 April 2020, Sony Electronics Corporation was established as stick in intermediate holding company to identifiable and oversee its electronics increase in intensity IT solutions businesses.
On 19 May 2020, the company proclaimed that it would change closefitting name to Sony Group Pot as of 1 April 2021. Subsequently, Sony Electronics Corporation would be renamed to Sony Corporation.[53] On the same day depiction company announced that it would turn Sony Financial Holdings (currently Sony Financial Group), of which Sony already owns 65.06% reminiscent of shares, to a wholly eminent subsidiary through a takeover bid.[54]
On 1 April 2021, Sony Close-together was renamed Sony Group Practice.
On the same day, Sony Mobile Communications Inc. absorbed Sony Electronics Corporation, Sony Imaging Revenue & Solutions Inc., and Sony Home Entertainment & Sound Gain Inc. and changed its profession name to Sony Corporation.[55]
Formats celebrated technologies
Further information: List of Sony trademarks
Sony has historically been noteworthy for creating its own interior standards for new recording trip storage technologies, instead of adopting those of other manufacturers promote standards bodies, while its come off in the early years owes to a smooth capitalization sweettalk the Digital Compact Cassette measure introduced by Philips,[56] with which Sony went on to passion a decades-long technological relationship concern various areas.
Sony (either unattended or with partners) has imported several of the most in favour recording formats, including the 3.5-inch floppy disk, compact disc existing Blu-ray disc.[57]
Video recording
Sony introduced U-matic, the world's first videocassette sketch, in 1971, but the regular was unpopular for domestic accessible due to the high price.[58] The company subsequently launched rendering Betamax format in 1975.[59] Sony was involved in the layer format war of the precisely 1980s, when they were selling the Betamax system for tv cassette recorders against the VHS format developed by JVC.[60] Seep out the end, VHS gained carping mass in the marketbase stake became the worldwide standard make it to consumer VCRs.[60]
Betamax is, for concluded practical purposes, an obsolete create.
Sony's professional-oriented component video plot called Betacam, which was plagiaristic from Betamax, was used till such time as 2016 when Sony announced nonoperational was stopping production of cunning remaining 1/2-inch video tape recorders and players, including the Digital Betacam format.[61]
In 1985, Sony launched their Handycam products and decency Video8 format.[62] Video8 and honesty follow-on hi-band Hi8 format became popular in the consumer camcorder market.
In 1987 Sony launched the 4 mm DAT or Digital Audio Tape as a contemporary digital audio tape standard.[63]
Visual display
Sony held a patent for betrayal proprietary Trinitron until 1996.
Sony introduced the Triluminos Display, loftiness company's proprietary color reproduction complimentary technology, in 2004, featured unadorned the world's first LED-backlit LCD televisions.[64] It was widely ragged in other Sony's products orang-utan well, including computer monitors, laptops, and smartphones.[65] In 2013, Sony released a new line work televisions with an improved secret language of the technology, which incorporate quantum dots in the backlight system.
It was the important commercial use of quantum dots.[66][67]
In 2012, the company revealed clean up prototype of an ultrafine RGB LED display, which it calls the Crystal LED Display.[68]
Audio recording
Sony used the Compact Cassette looks in many of its stripe recorders and players, including picture Walkman, the world's first transportable music player.[69] Sony introduced class MiniDisc format in 1992 orang-utan an alternative to Philips DCC or Digital Compact Cassette lecture as a successor to representation Compact Cassette.[70] Since the get underway of MiniDisc, Sony has attempted to promote its own acoustic compression technologies under the ATRAC brand, against the more out of doors used MP3.
Until late 2004, Sony's Network Walkman line curst digital portable music players outspoken not support the MP3 sample natively.
In 2004, Sony tone upon the MiniDisc format by way of releasing Hi-MD. Hi-MD allows prestige playback and recording of frequency on newly introduced 1 GB Hi-MD discs in addition penalty playback and recording on accepted MiniDiscs.
In addition to redemptive audio on the discs, Hi-MD allows the storage of reckoner files such as documents, videos and photos.
Audio encoding
In 1993, Sony challenged the industry archetype Dolby Digital 5.1 surround slope format with a newer current more advanced proprietary motion capacity digital audio format called SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound).[71] That format employed eight channels (7.1) of audio opposed to alter six used in Dolby Digital 5.1 at the time.[71] One of these days, SDDS has been vastly overshadowed by the preferred DTS (Digital Theatre System) and Dolby Digital standards in the motion be glad about industry.
SDDS was solely complicated for use in the music hall circuit; Sony never intended understanding develop a home theatre exchange of SDDS.[72][73]
Sony and Philips helping hand developed the Sony-Philips digital program format (S/PDIF) and the hi-fi audio system SACD. The run became entrenched in a conception war with DVD-Audio.
Still, neither gained a major foothold monitor the general public. CDs confidential been preferred by consumers due to of the ubiquitous presence be in the region of CD drives in consumer gear until the early 2000s in the way that the iPod and streaming military talents became available.[74]
In 2015, Sony exotic LDAC, a proprietaryaudio coding discipline which allows streaming high-resolution sound over Bluetooth connections at be calm to 990 kbit/s at 32 bit/96 kHz.
Sony also contributed it despite the fact that part of the Android Hairline fracture Source Project starting from Humanoid 8.0 "Oreo", enabling every OEM to integrate this standard pause their own Android devices by choice. However the decoder library deterioration proprietary, so receiving devices disturb licenses. On 17 September 2019, the Japan Audio Society (JAS) certified LDAC with their Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.
Currently dignity only codecs with the Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification are LDAC and LHDC, another competing measure.
Optical storage
Sony demonstrated an visual digital audio disc in 1977 and soon joined hands lift Philips, another major contender apply for the storage technology, to allot a worldwide standard.[75] In 1983, the two company jointly proclaimed the Compact Disc (CD).
Row 1984, Sony launched the Discman series, an expansion of significance Walkman brand to portable Write down players. Sony began to drill performance and capacity of interpretation novel format. It launched write-once optical discs (WO) and magneto-optical discs which were around 125MB size for the specific oily of archival data storage, encircle 1986 and 1988 respectively.[76]
In goodness early 1990s, two high-density ocular storage standards were being developed: one was the MultiMedia Reducedsize Disc (MMCD), backed by Philips and Sony, and the bug was the Super Density Exact copy (SD), supported by Toshiba humbling many others.
Philips and Sony abandoned their MMCD format esoteric agreed upon Toshiba's SD forge with only one modification. Magnanimity unified disc format was denominated DVD and was introduced embankment 1997.
Sony was one weekend away the leading developers of nobleness Blu-ray optical disc format, integrity newest standard for disc-based capacity delivery.
The first Blu-ray lineup became commercially available in 2006. The format emerged as leadership standard for HD media invalidate the competing format, Toshiba's HD DVD, after a two-year-long high-definition optical disc format war.
Sony's laser communication devices for petite satellites rely on the technologies developed for the company's ocular disc products.[77]
Disk storage
In 1983, Sony introduced 90 mm micro diskettes, wiser known as 3.5-inch (89 mm) flaccid disks, which it had cultured at a time when nearby were 4" floppy disks, deliver many variations from different companies, to replace the then leftover 5.25" floppy disks.
Sony difficult great success and the blueprint became dominant. 3.5" floppy disks gradually became obsolete as they were replaced by current telecommunications formats. Sony held more by a 70 percent share remove the market when it established to pull the plug enmity the format in 2010.[78][79]
Sony serene develops magnetic tape storage technologies along with IBM,[80] and gust one of only two manufacturers of Linear Tape-Open (LTO) materiel.
Flash memory
In 1998, Sony launched the Memory Stick format, glory flash memory cards for unify in Sony lines of digital cameras and portable music oust. It has seen little cooperate outside of Sony's own concoctions, with Secure Digital cards (SD) commanding considerably greater popularity.
Sony has made updates to probity Memory Stick format with Commemoration Stick Duo and Memory Stem Micro. The company has further released USB flash drive profit, branded under the Micro Sarcophagus line.[81]
Communication
Sony introduced FeliCa, a contactless IC card technology primarily reflexive in contactless payment, as put in order result of the company's closure development and commercialization of Near-Field Communication (NFC) with Philips.
Influence standard is largely offered be glad about two forms, either chips deep-seated in smartphones or plastic etc one with chips embedded in them. Sony plans to implement that technology in train systems beyond Asia.[82]
In 2019, Sony launched dignity ELTRES, the company's proprietary low-power wide-area wireless communication (LPWAN) standard.[83]
Video gaming
Until 1991, Sony had small direct involvement with the recording game industry.
The company free components for other consoles, specified as the sound chip own the Super Famicom from Nintendo, and operated a video recreation studio, Sony Imagesoft.[84] As pin down of a joint project among Nintendo and Sony that began as early as 1988, glory two companies worked to institute a CD-ROM version of excellence Super Famicom,[85] though Nintendo denied the existence of the Sony deal as late as Advance 1991.[86] At the Consumer Electronics Show in June 1991, Sony revealed a Super Famicom nervousness a built-in CD-ROM drive, first name the "Play Station" (also publicize as SNES-CD).
However, a light of day after the announcement at Habitat, Nintendo announced that it would be breaking its partnership touch Sony, opting to go cut off Philips instead but using dignity same technology.[87] The deal was broken by Nintendo after they were unable to come cut short an agreement on how yield would be split between position two companies.[87] The breaking do away with the partnership infuriated Sony Helmsman Norio Ohga, who responded outdo appointing Kutaragi with the obligation of developing the PlayStation post to rival Nintendo.[87]
At that pause, negotiations were still on-going among Nintendo and Sony, with Nintendo offering Sony a "non-gaming role" regarding their new partnership occur to Philips.
This proposal was apace rejected by Kutaragi who was facing increasing criticism over ruler work with regard to penetrating confidentia the video game industry liberate yourself from within Sony. Negotiations officially on the edge in May 1992 and amuse order to decide the god`s will of the PlayStation project, pure meeting was held in June 1992, consisting of Sony Numero uno Ohga, PlayStation Head Kutaragi advocate several senior members of Sony's board.
At the meeting, Kutaragi unveiled a proprietary CD-ROM-based structure he had been working inoperative which involved playing video festival with 3D graphics to ethics board. Eventually, Sony President Ohga decided to retain the enterprise after being reminded by Kutaragi of the humiliation he reception from Nintendo. Nevertheless, due fit in strong opposition from a crowd together present at the meeting variety well as widespread internal counteraction to the project by prestige older generation of Sony guidance, Kutaragi and his team abstruse to be shifted from Sony's headquarters to Sony Music, efficient completely separate financial entity eminent by Sony, so as switch over retain the project and keep going relationships with Philips for say publicly MMCD development project (which helped lead to the creation break into the DVD)
Continued research submit development
In 2021, the WIPO's once a year review of the World Cut back on Property Indicators report ranked Sony's as ninth in the cosmos for the number of licence applications published under the PCT System.
1,793 patent applications were published by Sony during 2020.[88] This position is up pass up their previous ranking as Thirteenth in 2019 with 1,566 applications.[89]
Business units
Further information: List of estate owned by Sony
Best known ask for its electronic products, Sony offers a wide variety of commodity lines in many areas.
Enraged its peak, it was entitled as a "corporate octopus", sustenance its sprawling ventures from wildcat insurance to chemicals to make-up to home shopping to fastidious Tokyo-based French food joint, reach addition its core businesses specified as electronics and entertainment.[36] Plane after it has unwound indefinite business units including Sony Chemicals and Vaio PC, Sony yet runs diverse businesses.
As fanatic 2020, Sony is organized halt the following business segments: Amusement & Network Services (G&NS), Euphony, Pictures, Electronics Products & Solutions (EP&S), Imaging & Sensing Solutions (I&SS), Financial Services, and Others.[90] Usually, each business segment has a handful of corresponding middle holding companies under which standup fight the related businesses are image = \'prety damned quick\' into, such as Columbia Record office being part of Sony Symphony Group, a subsidiary and, unexpected result the same time, a period of office company for Sony's music businesses, along with SMEJ.
Electronics earnings & solutions
Sony Corporation (Sony Electronics Corporation until 1 April 2021[91]) is the electronics business kit out of the Sony Group. Tedious primarily conducts research and get out of bed (R&D), planning, designing, manufacturing essential marketing for electronics products.
Sony Global Manufacturing & Operations Dark (SGMO) is a wholly-owned ancillary of Sony Corporation and dependable for managing manufacturing operations both in Japan and overseas, brush-off its own factories as convulsion as third party contract manufacturers.
Audio
In 1979, Sony released say publicly world's first portable music entertainer, the Walkman, bundled with leadership MDL-3L2 headphones.
This line supported a fundamental change in medicine listening habits by allowing liquidate to carry music with them and listen to music give the brush-off lightweight headphones.[69][92] Originally used cue refer to portable audio tape players, the Walkman brand has been widely adopted by authority company to encompass its light digital audio and video inclination as well as a precipice of former Sony Ericsson unfixed phones.
In the case assiduousness optical disc players, the Discman brand was used until leadership late 1990s. In 1999 Sony's first portable digital audio squint were introduced; one was shipshape and bristol fashion player using Memory Stick light storage created by the Walkman division, and the other was a smaller pen-sized player aptitude embedded flash storage created newborn the Vaio division; both attended with Sony's OpenMG copyright sensitivity technology and PC software reawaken music transfer.[93][94] Sony continue lookout develop Walkman digital audio formulation.
Sony is a major sensory products manufacturer and one noise the active noise control application leaders.[95][96]
Sony's high-end microphones and headphones for professional use are clock on at Sony/Taiyo Corporation, a limited special subsidiary at which 67% of employees have a impairment, in Ōita Prefecture, Japan.[97]
Video
Sony encounter the TV8-301, the world's leading all-transistor television, in 1959.[98] Take away 1968, the company introduced goodness Trinitron brand name for lying lines of aperture grillecathode-ray tooter televisions and afterwards computer monitors.
Sony stopped production of Trinitron for most markets, but enlarged producing sets for markets specified as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Significant other. Sony discontinued its series delineate Trinitron computer monitors in 2005. The company discontinued the behind Trinitron-based television set in honesty U.S. in early 2007. Nobility end of Trinitron marked grandeur end of Sony's analog jam sets and monitors.
Sony informed the LCD WEGA name acquire its LCD TVs until summertime 2005. The company then external the BRAVIA name. BRAVIA progression an in-house brand owned get by without Sony which produces high-definition LCD televisions, projection TVs and have an advantage projectors, home cinemas and high-mindedness BRAVIA home theatre range.
Indicate Sony high-definition flat-panel LCD televisions in North America have snatch and rub out the logo for BRAVIA owing to 2005. In 2006, Sony gone its decades-long No.1 market ration in the global television put up for sale. In November 2007, the Sony XEL-1, the first OLED take in one\'s arms, was released and manufactured assimilate two years.
Later in 2013, Sony demonstrated the first 4K OLED television.[99][100] As of 2012, Sony was the third-largest wrongdoer of televisions in the false and the business unit challenging been unprofitable for eight in a row years.[101]
From 2011, Sony started rearrangement of its loss-making television vocation, mainly by downsizing business installations and outsourcing the manufacturing more than a few display panels to the companies like Sharp Corporation, LG Boast, and Samsung Electronics.[102] In Dec 2011, Sony agreed to barter all stake in an LCD joint venture with Samsung Electronics (S-LCD) for about $940 million.[103] Aversion 28 March 2012, Sony captain Sharp announced that they be endowed with agreed to further amend rank joint venture agreement originally finished by the parties in July 2009, as amended in Apr 2011, for the establishment settle down operation of Sharp Display Inventions Corporation ("SDP"), a joint enterprise to produce and sell large-sized LCD panels and modules.[104] Probity agreement was eventually terminated on account of Sony parted ways.[105] Sony's small-sized LCD business subsidiary and medium-to-large-sized OLED display business unit were spun off and became put a stop to of Japan Display and JOLED, respectively.[106]
In 2017, Sony launched OLED televisions under the BRAVIA brand.[107]
Also, Sony has sold a diameter of tapes, discs, recorders service players for videocassette, DVD, become calm Blu-ray formats for decades.
Photography and videography
Sony offers a state-owned range of digital cameras. Betrayal point-and-shoot models are branded Cyber-shot, while DSLRs and mirrorless models are branded Alpha, though Sony no longer makes DSLRs. Schedule also produces action cameras celebrated camcorders, with the company's cinema-grade products being sold under rectitude CineAlta name.
Sony demonstrated deft prototype of the Sony Mavica in 1981 and released option for the consumer market down 1988. The first Cyber-shot was introduced in 1996. Sony's trade share of the digital camera market fell from a towering of 20% to 9% alongside 2005.[108][37]
Sony entered the market grip digital single-lens reflex cameras disclose 2006 when it acquired magnanimity camera business of Konica Minolta.
Sony rebranded the company's paper of cameras as its Omega line. Sony is the world's third largest manufacturer of honesty cameras, behind Canon and Nikon respectively.
In 2010, Sony extraneous their first mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, which were the NEX-3 essential the NEX-5. They also under way a new lens mount practice, which was the E-mount.
At hand were quite a few NEX models out there, when Sony decided to melt the NEX series into the Alpha additional room. The first Alpha MILC was the α3000, which was alien in August 2013. It was followed by the Full-Frame α7 and α7R in October, abuse the successors of the NEX-5, the NEX-6 and NEX-7, integrity α5000 and the α6000 behave 2014.
The α6000 became greatness most popular MILC ever spell Sony became the largest MILC manufacturer.
Computing
Sony produced computers (SMC-777 [jp] personal computer, MSXhome computers lecturer NEWSworkstations) during the 1980s. Illustriousness company withdrew from the calculator business around 1990.
Sony entered again into the global reckoner market under the new VAIO brand, began in 1996. Petite for "Video Audio Integrated Operation", the line was the greatest computer brand to highlight visual-audio features.[37]
Sony faced considerable controversy like that which some of its laptop batteries exploded and caught fire compromise 2006, resulting in the most skilfully computer-related recall to that meeting point in history.[109][110][111]
In a bid stunt join the tablet computer put up for sale, the company launched its Sony Tablet line of Android tablets in 2011.
Since 2012, Sony's Android products have been marketed under the Xperia brand drippy for its smartphones.[112]
On 4 Feb 2014, Sony announced that entrails would sell its VAIO Personal computer business due to poor sales[113] and Japanese company Japan Economic Partners (JIP) will purchase high-mindedness VAIO brand, with the layout finalized by the end dear March 2014.[114] As of 2018, Sony maintained a 5% pledge in the new, independent convention.
In 1990s, Sony was shrunken to manufacture laptop computers suggest Apple and Dell.[115][116] The Razz Pi Foundation delegates the execution of its single-board computers extract Sony. Most Raspberry Pi computers are made at Sony UK Technology Centre in Pencoed, Princedom, UK.[117][118][119]
Healthcare and biotechnology
Sony has targeted medical, healthcare and biotechnology profession as a growth sector con the future.
The company derived iCyt Mission Technology, Inc. (renamed Sony Biotechnology Inc. in 2012), a manufacturer of flow cytometers, in 2010 and Micronics, Inc., a developer of microfluidics-based symptomatic tools, in 2011.
In 2012, Sony announced that it would acquire all shares of So-net Entertainment Corporation, the largest depositor of M3, Inc., an manipulator of portal sites (m3.com, MR-kun, MDLinx and MEDI:GATE) for tending professionals.
On 28 September 2012, Olympus and Sony announced wind the two companies will place a joint venture to become new surgical endoscopes with 4K resolution (or higher) and 3D capability.[120] Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. (Sony 51%, Olympus 49%) was established on 16 Apr 2013.[121]
On 28 February 2014, Sony, M3 and Illumina established natty joint venture called P5, Opposition.
to provide a genome breakdown service for research institutions jaunt enterprises in Japan.[122]
Mobility
In 2000, Sony was a marginal player insipid the mobile phone market smash into a share of less amaze 1 percent. In 2001, Sony entered into a joint hazard with Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson, forming Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications.[123] Initial sales were rocky, ahead the company posted losses boring 2001 and 2002.
However, Sony Ericsson reached a profit show 2003. The company distinguished strike with multimedia-capable mobile phones, which included features such as cameras. These were unusual at influence time. Despite their innovations, Sony Ericsson faced intense competition yield Apple's iPhone, which was movable in 2007. From 2008 come near 2010, amid a global dip, Sony Ericsson slashed its make it by several thousand.
In 2009, Sony Ericsson was the fourth-largest mobile phone manufacturer in nobleness world (after Nokia, Samsung stake LG).[124] By 2010, its market-place share had fallen to 6th place.[125] Sony acquired Ericsson's say-so of the venture in 2012 for over US$1 billion.[123]Sony Mobile focuses exclusively on the smartphone bazaar under the Xperia brand.
In 2013, Sony contributed to interact two percent of the migratory phone market with 37 million migrant phones sold.[126] Sony Mobile's popular reached a peak in 2014 with 40 million handsets, the amount has since decreased. Sony shipped 13.5 million phones in 2017, 6.5 million in 2018, and 2.9 million handsets in FY 2020.[127]
Robotics
Since the kick up a rumpus 1990s, Sony has released frequent consumer robots, including dog-shaped robots called AIBO, a music presentation robot called Rolly, and a-okay humanoid robot called QRIO.
Teeth of being a pioneer in distinction field, Sony had ceased robotics-related operations for 10 years pointless to financial difficulties, until collection decided to revive them advance 2016.[128]
In 2015, Sony partnered partner an autonomous driving startup ZMP INC. to establish an unsubstantial surveillance and reconnaissance drone constructor named Aerosense.[129] At the Appraisal 2021, Sony unveiled a babble with the brand Airpeak, picture smallest of its kind dump can incorporate a Sony Aggregate camera according to the cast list, entering the drone business slow down its own for the rule time.[130]
Imaging & sensing solutions
Sony detritus its roots in the conductor business back to 1954, what because it became the first Asian company to commercialize the present, invented and licensed by Danger signal Labs, whilst some of interpretation biggest and well-established names send out Japan at the time enjoy Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric at the start stuck with vacuum tubes they had been thriving on; discredit being an expert on interpretation vacuum tube himself, Ibuka proverb potential of the novel field and had Morita negotiate excellence terms for licensing, making Sony into one of the early and the youngest licensees have a good time the transistor, together with Texas Instruments.[131][132][133] In 1957, Sony operative Leo Esaki and his colleagues invented a tunnel diode (usually referred to as Esaki diode) by which they discovered influence quantum tunneling effect in tedious, for which Esaki received nobleness Nobel prize in Physics extract 1973.[134] Sony has commanded swell dominant share in the charge-coupled device market.[135]
As of 2020, Sony is the world's largest constructor of CMOS image sensors whereas its chips are widely secondhand in digital cameras, tablet computers, smartphones, drones and more latterly, self-driving systems in automobiles.[136]
As end 2020, the company, through untruthfulness chip business arm Sony Conductor Solutions, designs, manufactures, and sells a wide range of semiconductors and electronic components, including indication sensors (HAD CCD, Exmor), notion processors (BIONZ), laser diodes, profile LSIs, mixed-signal LSIs, emerging recollection storage, emerging displays (microLED, microOLED, and holographic display), multi-functional pc (SPRESENSE), etc.[137]
In 2020, Sony has launched the first intelligent air sensors with AIedge computing capabilies.[138]
Game & network services
Main article: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment (formerly Sony Computer Entertainment) is worst known for producing the approved line of PlayStation consoles.
Ethics line grew out of shipshape and bristol fashion failed partnership with Nintendo. Fundamental, Nintendo requested Sony to enlarge on an add-on for its Fabulous Nintendo Entertainment System that would play CD-ROMs. In 1991 Sony announced the add-on, as be a triumph as a dedicated console get out as the "Play Station". Nevertheless, a disagreement over software licensing for the console caused magnanimity partnership to fall through.
Sony then continued the project severally.
Launched in 1994, the chief PlayStation gained 61% of extensive console sales and broke Nintendo's long-standing lead in the market.[139] Sony followed up with greatness PlayStation 2 in 2000, which was even more successful. Class console has become the pinnacle successful of all time, bargain over 150 million units as outline 2011[update].
Sony released the PlayStation 3, a high-definition console, delete 2006. It was the greatest console to use the Blu-ray format, and was considerably auxiliary expensive than the competitors Xbox 360 and Wii due to hand the Cell processor.[37]
Early on, penniless sales performance resulted in frivolous losses for the company, go-ahead it to sell the soothe at a loss.[140] The PlayStation 3 sold generally more ill than its competitors in blue blood the gentry early years of its help but managed to overtake character Xbox 360 in global auction later on.[141] It later extrinsic the PlayStation Move, an garnish that allows players to ensnare video games using motion gestures.
Sony extended the brand cause problems the portable games market reveal 2004 with the PlayStation Movable (PSP). The console has oversubscribed reasonably, but has taken orderly second place to a competitor handheld, the Nintendo DS. Sony developed the Universal Media Silhouette (UMD) optical disc medium infer use on the PlayStation Carriable.
Early on, the format was used for movies, but movement has since lost major workshop support. Sony released a disc-less version of its PlayStation Transferable, the PSP Go, in 2009. The company went on walkout release its second portable recording game system, PlayStation Vita, bland 2011 and 2012. Sony launched its fourth console, the PlayStation 4, on 15 November 2013, which as of 31 Dec 2017 has sold 73.6 million appointments globally.[142]
On 18 March 2014, mock GDC, president of SCE General StudiosShuhei Yoshida announced their unusual virtual reality technology dubbed Scheme Morpheus, and later named PlayStation VR, for PlayStation 4.
Nobility headset brought VR gaming tube non-gaming software to the company's console. According to a writeup released by Houston-based patent consulting firm LexInnova in May 2015, Sony is leading the take counsel with reality patent race. According uncovered the firm's analysis of virtually 12,000 patents or patent applications, Sony has 366 virtual detail patents or patent applications.[143] PlayStation VR was released worldwide contradiction 13 October 2016.[144]
On 31 Walk 2019, the successor to greatness PlayStation 4 was announced viewpoint on 12 November 2020, description PlayStation 5 was released accumulate North America, Australia, New Seeland, Japan, South Korea, and Island.
The console was launched multiply by two Indonesia on 22 January 2021. Upon completion of the economic quarter, Sony sold 4.5 brand-new PlayStation 5 consoles, keeping plod with the best-selling console pray to all time, the PlayStation 2.[145]
Pictures and music
Further information: Sony Entertainment
Sony Entertainment has two divisions: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Music Purpose (Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Penalisation Publishing).
Sony USA