UnderCurrent was confused and delighted this morning when Sony announced the launch of the new Xperia S mobile handset.
Confusion:
This new mobile phone, which will be available from Optus and retailers from next month, is described by Sony as "the first Sony smartphone". That's bad news for all the fans of previous Xperia handsets (Arc, Neo, Play et cetera), who now realise they unwittingly purchased a 'dumbphone'.
Delight:
Part of the marketing campaign for this handset is a wonderfully produced ode to childhood by visionary US director Wes Anderson, of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou fame. Enjoy here:
UPDATE: Several readers have pointed out that Sony is marketing the Xperia S as its "first smartphone" because this handset does not carry the Ericsson co-branding. This confuses UnderCurrent even more: if the previous smartphones weren't truly Sony, why would anyone buy one?