In what would certainly be an interesting move on Sony Ericsson’s part, Brand Republic is reporting that the upcoming Xperia Pureness will launch at £530 through various non-carrier retailers around the UK. We already knew that SE was targeting November for the Pureness launch but the price point, which is equivalent to $874 USD if accurate, had been unknown. Also unknown was the launch strategy, which supposedly puts the Pureness in the hands of consumers via retailers like Selfridges (high end department store, also sells the Moto Aura) and various Design Museum Shop (artsy specialty shop) locations. A bold move we suppose, but SE views the handset as ‘an iconic niche product’ not geared toward the mass market. This will be the first time Sony Ericsson has launched a phone in the UK without carrier support so it will be interesting to see how much product the company can move — though we don’t imagine expectations are incredibly high. As unique as the Pureness is, it’s still a £530 feature phone with the least impressive feature set we’ve seen in ages.
Thanks, Jeb!
