Sony returns to phones with Xperia P and U

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Xperia U rear

In order to support its aspirations for the newly formed business unit, Sony also plans to launch a massive marketing effort in order to win back customers from better established smartphone brands such as Samsung and Motorola.

However, Ernest Doku, technology expert at price comparison site uSwitch.com, said the company may struggle to re-establish itself in a highly competitive market.

"It remains to be seen how Sony's smartphone division will integrate with their portable gaming plans, with the recently released Vita, and it will be interesting to see what the impact on the mobile brand will be now it's only Sony's name above the door," Doku said.

Although the prices of the new devices were not announced, Sony said the Xperia U will be competitively priced against rivals at the same level. Other manufacturers, such as Nokia and Samsung, are also providing a variety of handsets at different price points, particularly those running Android.

"The launch of the Xperia P and U are the first Sony handsets in the post-Ericsson era, and they highlight a strategy to target multiple price points with a selection of distinct devices," Doku said.

Also at MWC, Sony announced that its Xperia S is now shipping to customers worldwide and that conference attendees can buy one exclusively at the show.

T-Mobile plans to start offering the Xperia U in the second quarter, it said in a post to Twitter.

Image credit: Ben Woods

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