It isn‘t just Apple that is celebrating this week. Sony is also getting in on the tech act with its new Android smartphone – the Xperia Z4.
The Japanese technology retailer has kept the news relatively quiet, opting out of unveiling the model until after the Mobile World Congress.
The new device was unveiled on Sony Mobile‘s Japanese company website on Monday and rejects rumours suggesting that the business is looking to move away from smartphones altogether.
The new phone is thinner than the last model, runs on Android 5.0 and is available in four colours. The design could compete with Apple and Samsung‘s models. Hiroki Tokoti, in charge of Sony‘s mobile unit, confirmed that the company would be targeting the upper end of the market:
“There’s a broad variety in the prices of smartphones, from around $100 to $1,400 at the upper end – we want to focus in the upper half of that,” said Tokoti.
According to Sony CEO Kazo Hirai, the phone has been introduced in a year that is about, “generating profit and investigating growth”, following a less than desirable third quarter profits. The electronics giant reported that it had made profits of 178bn yen but had endured an operating loss of 170bn – 130bn yen more than the year before. The conglomerate‘s aim is to reach a 500bn yen operating profit by March 2018.
Though Sony revised its overall profits following results from its US film studio, it has decided to maintain its 2015 forecasts. The retailer has also chosen to remain discreet regarding the international launch dates of its latest phone.
