M1 could be turning point for Sanyo, Sprint Nextel...

[SL-10]

http://www.rcrnews.com/news.cms?newsId=27886

M1 could be turning point for Sanyo, Sprint Nextel

By Phil Carson
Dec 4, 2006

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Sprint Nextel Corp. and Sanyo Corp. introduced the latter’s M1 handset, a high-end multimedia phone with lots of onboard memory and a two-megapixel camera, for $200 with a two-year contract.

The phone may provide the gotta-have-it crowd with another device for enjoying Sprint Nextel’s video and music offerings, but it may also be the proverbial high note signaling big changes for both companies.

Sanyo—the world’s ninth-largest handset vendor—last year announced a restructuring designed to cut ongoing financial losses. The company also suggested it would move out of the mobile phone business. This refrain was underscored in press accounts last month, when the Japanese daily newspaper Nihon Keizai reported that Sanyo plans to sell its mobile phone business; Sanyo had no comment on the report.

While Sanyo has a strong foothold in its native Japan, its global market share is only slightly better than 1 percent—a position characteristic of second-tier handset vendors beyond the top six players. The company was dealt a blow earlier this year when a planned joint venture to deliver CDMA handsets to the United States market for Nokia Corp. was cancelled by Nokia.

Sanyo has supplied the bulk of Sprint Nextel’s CDMA mobile handsets—up to one-third of the carrier’s portfolio—and thus its fate is closely tied to the carrier’s recent, uneven performance. Whether Sprint Nextel’s business has suffered from its handset offerings, which it has recently succeeded in expanding with several popular Motorola Inc. models, or whether Sanyo is paying the price for Sprint Nextel’s performance is a matter of speculation. But with Sanyo’s expressed interest in shedding its handset business, Sprint Nextel likely is looking at alternative sources.

Meanwhile, the M1 arguably represents the apex of the two companies’ cooperation to date. It provides 1 gigabyte of internal memory, or storage for approximately 16 hours of music, and provides users with an external display and music controls, as well as text messaging, Bluetooth and GPS functions.

[Psmolar]

there was a write up in mondays money section about sprint how they have blow the nextel merger, basiclly ignoreing nextel customers and dead beats not paying thier bill, they are looking to the future with the new wimax or what ever they call it new network. but i think this m1 phone will be huge for sanyo. we heard a rumor that sanyo might sell it's cell phone off. we should have a thred of all sanyo nuts telling them not to. they make a damn good product the m1 is my 3rd sanyo in 7 years

[Wayne 1]

As far as I'm concerned Sanyo is (and has been) the best of the phones offered by Sprint. I'm encouraged the M1 will be a solid phone for Sanyo and Sprint! :)

[Jonathanlc2005]

if sprint advertises it as much as i see the chocolate, we will see sanyo live

[C1787GJ]

Unfortunately I don't think Sprint will advertise this phone at all :(

[jes]

Unfortunately I don't think Sprint will advertise this phone at all :(
Actually, I think they might...there was a news release on their website Fri about hiring two powerhouse marketing execs. I think we'll see sprint marketing on par with VZW and Cingular pretty soon.

[perplex]

sprint is pissin me off

[jes]

sprint is pissin me off
Shipping problems?

[KevC84]

Sprint does need to advertise its phones a little more and some of its services. I can't stand that Verizon has such great advertising when it comes to its music store and Sprint was the first to launch its Music Store except I think we only saw one Music Store commercial. That's it. Cingular just launced it music service and commercial is excellent I mean and they have the big names in music on their commercial. The LG chocolate commercial is excellent and if people didn't know about the chocolate then well they sure as heck do now. Sprint needs to do something like that. The Cingular Blackjack commercial is very cool and very appealing. I could so think of great ways where Sprint could have advertised their phones.

For example, Sanyo Katana, they should have done a commercial like it was a cheesy dubbed japanese movie with a Katana sword fight and incorporated the phone with it.

The fusic was another great opportunity for them to make an appealing commercial advertising the phone. Take an MP3 player, a digital camera, a cell phone and an FM transmitter into a blender, add some M&M's for color and a hint of vanilla. Blend together and boom you got the FUSIC. Something along those lines. I mean the commercial could have been funny and got the customer to watch and then really want the phone.

Just some ideas. I see that Sprint advertises in printed stuff a lot but TV is a really powerful advertising tool.

Now for the part pertaining to the OP. I just got the M1 and I just cant put it down. The phone is everything I asked for. I am glad to be back with Sanyo. I really think Sanyo phones are the best and it would be a shame if they were to sell the business. Sanyos were what made Sprint different.

[jschu22]

This phone COULD be a turning point.... But it will really just be a great phone that knowledgeable members of a message board will appreciate. This isnt going to drive all that many new customers into Sprint stores despite being what looks to be a very good handset.

[SL-10]

IMO, Sanyo will still be around making cell phones for years to come.. ;)

[landale]

The only problem I see is that the M1 won't be released to stores until January, which means an ad campaign for it won't be out until then at the earliest. The IPhone is also expected to be out the end of January and with semi-reliable information stating it will be available in both GSM and CDMA varieties with 4GB of memory and priced around $250 (I am guessing that's with two year contract) this phone may be obsolete as a high end music phone in less then 2 months.

[shamefulzero]

The only problem I see is that the M1 won't be released to stores until January, which means an ad campaign for it won't be out until then at the earliest. The IPhone is also expected to be out the end of January and with semi-reliable information stating it will be available in both GSM and CDMA varieties with 4GB of memory and priced around $250 (I am guessing that's with two year contract) this phone may be obsolete as a high end music phone in less then 2 months.

if the iphone has 4gb it must be a brick. i doubt the m1 will be nothing in two months.

[Celsius]

Sprint doesnt get it you cant release a new phone and wait to see if people will like it... You have to make them like it, make them want it, beat it into their heads that if you want to be a status symbol throw your chocolate away and get an M1 or a M610.

Most people are like sheep they just do what everyone else does... If tmobile can sell that piece of crap sidekick for 400 whay cant sprint sell the M1 or the M610 phones that are wayyyy more advanced than a sidekick and cheaper.... You gotta go get snoop dogg, tony hawk, paris hilton or some other lame celebrity to say your a loser if you dont have a M1 lol

[landale]

if the iphone has 4gb it must be a brick. i doubt the m1 will be nothing in two months.

How so? 4GB of flash memory isn't that big, it's just expensive. Look at the nano for example. Put Samsungs T529 on top of a nano and its still much thinner then the M1. So clearly a 4GB phone could be made that wouldn't be a brick. I am not hating on the M1, I own one and love it other then a few little issues. I am just saying I see the M1 as a niche phone and not as a major player for Sprint.

[Jonathanlc2005]

Most people are like sheep they just do what everyone else does... If tmobile can sell that piece of crap sidekick for 400 whay cant sprint sell the M1 or the M610 phones that are wayyyy more advanced than a sidekick and cheaper.... You gotta go get snoop dogg, tony hawk, paris hilton or some other lame celebrity to say your a loser if you dont have a M1 lol


1 vote for celsius to be president of sprint :p