Earlier this year, a report from Japan suggested that Sony Mobile might be planning to release its first OLED smartphone in 2018, presumably as a successor to the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. However, seeing how the company continues to diminish its efforts in several key markets including the US and India and given how Chinese smartphone manufacturers have competitive offers in Japan, recent reports suggest that Sony might want to play it safe with its first OLED smartphone and make the new display technology available in a limited edition device.
Numerous smartphone manufacturers have been shifting from LCD to OLED display technology and assuming that rumors are accurate, Sony Mobile is also leaning towards using OLED displays for one of its upcoming flagships in 2018. However, with more smartphone makers switching to OLED, demand will be on the rise and Sony might find it difficult to break into the OLED smartphone market with a mass-produced device. Furthermore, as Sony Mobile continues to minimize its presence in several key markets around the globe, the company is also experiencing increased competition from Chinese phone makers who continue to grow in popularity in Japan due to their products offering great value for money. Having said that, Sony Mobile could decide to play it safe and release its first OLED flagship as a limited edition device, presumably only in Japan, in an attempt to try and secure its position in the premium segment.
Sony Mobile’s latest flagship phone was unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2017 as the company announced the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. It accommodates an IPS LCD Triluminos display with a 5.46-inch diagonal and a resolution of 3840 x 2160, leading to a pixel density of roughly 807 pixels per inch. Having reached the peak of what mobile LCD displays can offer today, it would make a certain amount of sense for the company to finally switch gears and try to find a viable solution for the adoption of OLED display technology in its future flagship phones. However, given the uncertainty surrounding the company’s mobile branch, only time will tell if and how Sony Mobile will make use of OLED panels moving forward.