又一经典手机品牌退出中国市场？“死忠粉”依然很多

Core Viewpoint - Sony appears to be making significant adjustments to its mobile business strategy in the Chinese market, as indicated by the removal of the "mobile" product category from its official website and the lack of updates on its official Weibo account [2][16]. Group 1: Market Presence and Product Launches - The last model launched in mainland China was the Xperia 5 V, released in September 2023 with a starting price of 6499 yuan, and no new models have been introduced since [6]. - Sony's flagship models for 2024 and 2025, the Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 1 VII, have not been released in the Chinese market [6]. - In March 2024, Sony China responded to rumors of exiting the mobile business, stating that its operations, including mobile, were stable and that China remained a key overseas market [6][16]. Group 2: Historical Context and Business Performance - Sony has been active in the Chinese mobile market since 2013, with the Xperia Z1 being one of the first models sold [8]. - The Xperia brand was established in 2008 under Sony Ericsson, which later became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony in 2012 [9]. - Despite launching several notable models, Sony Mobile has consistently reported losses, making it the only loss-making division within Sony's core business [9]. Group 3: Localization and Market Challenges - Sony's mobile devices have faced criticism for their lack of localized software, which has limited their appeal to Chinese consumers [12]. - In May 2022, Sony announced a partnership with Meizu to enhance localization for the Xperia IV, but this did not fundamentally change the overall user experience [12][14]. - High pricing of new models, often comparable to flagship devices from Samsung and Apple, has led to poor market performance due to insufficient brand recognition to justify the premium [14]. Group 4: Future Outlook - Although Sony has not officially announced its exit from the Chinese market, recent actions suggest a de facto termination of its mobile business, with a potential shift of resources to more competitive areas [16].