Sony reassures fans that it is not done with Xperia smartphones just yet

Sony has moved to reassure fans about its Xperia series following recent speculation about the smartphone brand's future. Speaking during the company's August 7 earnings briefing, Sony Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Tao Lin described Xperia as 'a very important business for us' and confirmed that the company intends to continue developing smartphones under the brand going forward.

Quoted by CNET Japan, Tao Lin explained that Sony still sees the smartphone as a foundation for future innovation across its other communication technology businesses. In other words, Sony considers Xperia smartphones a cog within its broader businesses. With that being said, Tao Lin decided against confirming whether the Xperia 5 would be returning to the Xperia lineup.

As it stands, Sony appears to have no interest in challenging the likes of Apple or Samsung in the US with the Xperia 1 VII. Potentially, the company could return to the mid-range market with the Xperia 10 VII though, which was spotted in late spring as the XQ-FE44. Currently, the Xperia 10 VII is anticipated to arrive this October. Please see our Xperia 1 VII launch article for full details about Sony's most recent flagship smartphone.