Sony eyes No 3 global ranking in smartphones
Japanese electronics giant pins hopes on new handset through China and US markets
Sony is betting its Xperia Z1 handset will propel it to the No3 spot in the global smartphone market, leaping from seventh place by vaulting past competitors such as LG Electronics and Lenovo.
The Xperia Z1, which comes with a 20.7 megapixel camera and will be in stores this month, would help it gain ground in the United States and China to become the biggest rival to Apple's iPhone and Samsung Electronics' Galaxy devices, said Dennis van Schie, Sony Mobile Communications' sales chief.
The company also announced a zoom-lens-style camera for smartphones.
"Our ambition is to become a top three player," van Schie said at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin on Wednesday. "We are, right now, enjoying fantastic momentum in the markets where we play. We are breaking into the US; we are building momentum in China."
Sony has its sights set on a market dominated by Samsung, which controlled a third of smartphone sales globally in the second quarter, according to research from Gartner.
Apple, which unveils its new iPhone next week, has 14 per cent of sales, with LG, Lenovo and ZTE rounding out the top five.