Sony has put out some great devices over the past year, which reflected in increasing quarterly sales and growing prestige within the Android community. However, Sony isn’t active in the United States, the world’s second largest smartphone market, and the situation may not change anytime soon.
Speaking to the press today, CEO Kaz Hirai said that Sony would continue to focus on Japan and Europe, the markets that currently generate 60 percent of its mobile sales. Other big markets will have to wait:
Those two are the most important areas for us and we'll put substantial resources there. But not yet for the U.S. and China
Sony plans to “start gradually” in the US, though we could say it already made a small first step with the release of the Xperia Z on T-Mobile. Unfortunately, it looks that the Xperia Z1, which launched last month around the world, won’t see a wider release in the US.
Hirai’s statement comes as a cold shower for those who hoped to see Sony vigorously tackling the American market. The reasons for this reluctance may have to do with the huge marketing expenses required to crack the US market, as well as the strong presence of Apple, which leaves Sony a smaller pool of potential consumers to fight over with other manufacturers.
We recently reviewed the Sony Xperia Z1 and we were impressed with its build, hardware, and camera, though we found that the glass and metal phone has several flaws. For now, your best chance to get an Xperia Z1 in the States is an importer like Negri Electronics, as the device has not been announced for any carrier yet.
Globally, Sony is quite ambitious: the company hopes to take third place behind Samsung and Apple, with a target of 42 million units this year. LG and Huawei are the other two contenders for a podium place.
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