Updated: Sony Ericsson Picks Up MicroSD, Ditches Own Memory Stick Micro

In some of the latest Sony Ericsson models, we have seen the lack of Sonys own Memory Stick Micro, their version or competition to the MicroSD that many cellphones use. This holds true in their upcoming K850 and the newly announced Satio and came to us as odd but we figured, it was due to the development methods and partners with those models. Will today, all that is cleared up as Sony Ericssons Global Marketing Director Fortuné Alexander, stated that the company is “moving in that direction” when asked about dropping the Memory Stick Micro line in favor of the MicroSD.

As a user of  Sony products, it’s not fun to see the company give up on their on smaller formats, but from a business practice, I’m beyond glad. A problem Sony is currently having is that they are fighting far too many battles. If there is an electronic device or format, Sony has a version. Many times, (looking at you BetaMax and Mini Disc Players), they were indeed superior but because the company is do divided up, they cannot poor in the real amount of resources needed to fend and advance that product/brand or format. With one less format to worry about, it means that the costs of their devices can potentially come down as the tap into a universal format and in hopes, also make more money, because they can sell a MicroSD to lets say 400 million phones versus a Memory Stick Micro to only 20 million phones (all numbers being made up). Maybe Sony is indeed serious about moving to a more open format.

Update:

So here is an odd twist to the story that makes no sense. It seems that Sony is indeed ditching their M2 for MicroSD and so one would assume that this would be a company wide policy but in fact, during the E3 announcement of the new PSP Go, the unit will be using…you guessed it, Sony’s Memory Stick Micro. Now, I understand that products will be in different development cycles and such but one would assume that ditching M2 would be a company wide policy and that the PSP Go would also adopt MicroSD as they are extremely similar in size.

[Via Engadget]