The Xperia line of smartphones has a long and storied history, with Sony Ericsson launching the first Xperia handset, the Xperia X1, back in 2008. Fast forward to 2015, Sony Xperia Z5 Premium became the first smartphone to feature a 4K resolution display, but despite these innovations, Sony has struggled to gain a foothold in the global smartphone market.
In 2023, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai announced that Sony would continue making smartphones despite the company’s inability to turn a profit at the high prices it charges for its devices. Currently, Sony holds the 14th position in the top 20 brands with a market share of 0.35%, ranking just ahead of Asus and right below HMD Global.
Rumors suggest that in 2025, Sony might make a radical change to its smartphone business, including dropping the Xperia name and introducing a new design language. Also, there are speculations that Sony may move its front-facing camera under the display, which would be two years ahead of Apple’s rumored plans. This change in design could breathe new life into Sony’s smartphone business.
With these changes on the horizon, perhaps Sony will finally be able to create a smartphone that lives up to the promise of its earlier devices and the capabilities of its other consumer electronics divisions. Hopefully, this new direction will begin in 2025.
