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Taipei, Sept. 9 (CNA) Sony Mobile’s latest flagship smartphone model — the Xperia XZ1 — will go on sale in Taiwan on Sept. 15, with hopes the new model will help the Japanese firm maintain the lead over its peers in the high-end Android smartphone market here.
In addition to the Xperia XZ1, Sony Mobile is planning to launch the sale of another flagship model — the Xperia XZ Compact — in late September to further penetrate the Taiwan market, the Japanese brand said.
According to the company, the Japanese smartphone vendor took a 24 percent share in sales volume in the high-end Android smartphone market in Taiwan in May after the launch of the Xperia XZ Premium that month, and its sales share rose to 29 percent in June, and to 33 percent in July.
In terms of sales value, Sony Mobile grasped a 24 percent share in Taiwan in May, and its share grew to 29 percent in June and to 31 percent in July, the brand added.
The high-end Android smartphone market refers to models carrying a price tag of NT$15,000 (US$500) each or higher.
Lin Chin-yuan (林志遠), president of Sony Mobile Taiwan, said that the two flagship models are expected to help his company reinforce its foothold in Taiwan, keeping its title as the top seller in terms of sales volume and sales value for the rest of the year.
The 5.2-inch Xperia XZ1, priced at NT$29,000 in Taiwan, will be available in four colors: black, silver, blue and pink, while the 4.6-inch Xperia XZ1 Compact will also sport the same colors.
For both of the new flagship models, Sony Mobile said, their main rear camera is equipped with a Exmor RS sensor which possesses 3D capabilities, while the two new models are packed with additional features such as an autofocus burst mode and a smart smile function, which automatically starts to buffer images when it detects action or even a smile before a shutter button is pressed.
Lin said Sony Mobile has faith in its products although competition in the Taiwan market is escalating in the high-end smartphone segment.
Rival Samsung Electronics Co. launched its new flagship model Galaxy Note 8 in Taiwan earlier this month and Apple Inc. is expected to unveil the next generation iPhones next week.
Lin said that Sony Mobile, which turned a profit last year, will invest more in high-end smartphone development after such upscale products have accounted for more than 50 percent of its total sales.
[“Source-focustaiwan”]