Sony CFO Calls Xperia Brand 'Very Important' Part of Business Amidst Ongoing Challenges

Sony revealed its Xperia 1 VII smartphone in select global markets in May. After an increase in reports of glitches affecting several units, the company halted sales and launched a replacement scheme for the new handset. The Japanese firm has yet to introduce any other smartphone models this year. Following speculation that the Japanese tech giant might exit the smartphone market entirely, a recent statement from Sony Group's CFO indicates that the company plans to continue developing new handsets, especially its Xperia range.

Sony CFO Says Firm Continues to Focus on Smartphone Business

During the firm's financial results briefing on Thursday, Sony Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sue Lin claimed that the Xperia brand is a "very important business" for the company, according to a recent CNET Japan report. She added that the company intends to continue its focus on the smartphone business, as well as other communication technologies beyond handsets.

The comments followed a glitch that affected the company's latest smartphone, the Sony Xperia 1 VII. Soon after the launch, reports surfaced of several units of the handset shutting down, rebooting randomly, or failing to power on, prompting the company to temporarily suspend sales. The company later announced a free replacement program for all eligible devices.

Aside from this fiasco, Sony has faced stagnation with the Xperia series, particularly in the Japanese market, according to the report, which has also raised concerns about the company's potential withdrawal from the smartphone business. The Japanese tech giant has yet to launch any other handset in 2025, and this has only fuelled these speculations.

However, the latest comments from the Sony Group's CFO indicate that Sony plans to continue making more smartphones, and we can expect more Xperia models to debut in the future. 

The Sony Xperia 1 VII comes with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, a 5,000mAh battery and a triple rear camera setup with Sony Alpha technology, including Exmor T and RS sensors, led by a 1/1.35-inch 48-megapixel main sensor.