It’s no secret that Sony’s Mobile Division isn’t doing quite as well as they have been, and in the face of Samsung and LG’s rising success, they’ve struggled a little in North America and Western Europe. In parts of Asia however, the Sony brand is very much well thought of, and for good reason. In Japan, Sony’s Xperia line of devices are some of the biggest sellers in the region, but something you might not know is that they’re a big deal in Taiwan, and the Xperia Z3+ is said to help boost their already healthy market share in the region.
According to a recent DigiTimes report, Sony Mobile hold around 25% or so of the higher-end sector of the smartphone market in Taiwan. Recent releases like the Xperia M4 Aqua have become big sellers for the brand in Taiwan, and the Xperia Z3+ is poised to help increase their market share. Despite criticisms that the Xperia Z3 and now the Xperia Z3+ (also known as the Xperia Z4 in Japan) haven’t offered consumers compelling reasons to upgrade, Sony expects to increase their market share to 40% of the high-end Android market in Taiwan. DigiTimes is quoting Jonathan Lin, general manager of Sony Mobile Taiwan, so it seems like Sony has big plans for markets that are proofing lucrative for them already.
Samsung’s latest failure in Japan could be an example for Sony, a company that has struggled to make a meaningful presence in the United States, a key market for many big brands. Samsung seem unable to sell devices in Japan, even without their logo on the back of the new Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge, and perhaps Sony is to focus on markets in which they are already doing well, rather than face an embarrassing failure a la Samsung. Either way, the Xperia Z3+ is a decent smartphone, but it does leave us wanting more in future Xperia products, and hopefully the next generation will be even better.