Sony will announce a new “high end camera” before summer!

[FowlersFreeTime]

As a former "bean-counter" and current "bean-counter" software admin I can assure you that isn't how that went. It was more like:
Marketing team: We see the potential to make good sales if we can have a camera that does XYZ within an ABC price range
Product team: Ok here is a camera with all the features possible
Sensible adult in the room aka "bean-counter": The production cost of that camera is several times the price marketing wants
Marketing: We can't sell many cameras that cost that much
Product: All you "bean-counters" think about is making money
Sensible adult: Would you like to continue to get paid?
Product: Of course I do!
Sensible adult: Then you need to come up with a product that doesn't cost more than what marketing says we can sell. This is the fundamental basics of staying in business.

I see you have been in a few of these meetings...

 

[iamdlewis]

I see you have been in a few of these meetings...

My favorite was one in which in which engineering wanted to use some part for some device for something with the electrical grid. The part was fantastic, it was far more efficient than necessary and had an expected useful life of about 50 years at a cost of like $250 per unit. The cheap version was still more efficient than necessary and had an expected useful life of about 15 years at a cost of about $25 per unit. Over the last 25 years the larger devices that these parts went into were replaced every 5 years and generally cost about $100.

 

[Gaz]

The A7 line is a prime example. They release a new base model every 3-4 years or so. In the interim, new features come along that are included on other manufacturer's newer releases as well as Sony's. Not all can be added via firmware, but many could in order to keep the camera relevant. The new AF is a prime example. They can't add the AI part, but the subject recognition can definitely be added via firmware. And why can't they add Lossless Compressed RAW to the entire series, or at least back to the A7II era? This throws a bone to existing users with decent upgrades that aren't likely to preclude a new camera purchase down the road.

Panasonic did a firmware update that added near/far focus and made it assignable to function buttons. Say you were shooting a bird in a tree and the camera kept grabbing the tree. By pushing the 'far' button, it would look beyond the branch and get the bird instantly. I shot geese landing through brush, and airplanes flying behind a tree, etc. If they can do that via firmware, Sony could be doing a lot more.

IMO, it's about money. They'd rather you buy another camera instead of updating the one you have. That is penny-wise and pound-foolish. Instead of keeping customers to buy another model, they'll lose customers to other brands.

And what's more, this is really well known. Gerald Undone holds their feet to the fire with respect to their poor firmware policy. Too much bad publicity about a subject many feel is an important part of support will cause people that may have been considering Sony to shy away.

I don’t need AF setting to tell me if I’m focused on a train. if it focused through windows onto train drivers and airplane pilots, well that would be useful!

 

[Brownie]

I don’t need AF setting to tell me if I’m focused on a train. if it focused through windows onto train drivers and airplane pilots, well that would be useful!

Everyone has their own needs and wants. I'd love to have car recognition for obvious reasons.

 

[Gaz]

I think you're forgetting that the hardware in the camera is specced/priced to run the software upon release.
It is unlikely that your buying a camera full of memory and chips and circuitry that runs the software it needs to with 75% spare capacity for future updates. I'd imagine this is tightly controlled to increase profits per camera - least hardware spec to run the software required upon release.
There isn't likely to be much spare hardware capacity to run new features correctly.

CMOS size isn’t advertised, but it occurs to me that third party hacks could add features to older models in future.

I was surprised to see so many YouTubers discussing my Pentax ME super, that I haven’t used since 1990. It sits over there on a shelf just waiting for me to buy a can of film.

In 30 years time, I’d be pretty happy if my A7iv was the hot topic of discussion because some hack updates the firmware to make it distinguish between a bird and a branch.