Sony is considering slashing its smartphone sales target again, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. The Japanese electronics giant is likely to trim its smartphone sales target by several millions of units from the current goal of 43 million for the 12 months to the end of March 2015, the report said. This would be the second downward revision of the forecast in the current business year started in April. The original goal was 50 million.
The downgrade stems from Sony's plan to reduce its presence in some markets, especially emerging nations such as China, by pulling its entry-level handsets. The company said in September it plans to focus more on the premium segment and reduce the number of mid-range models it offers. It will also revise its strategy in certain geographic markets. Sony plans to hold a meeting with investors in November, where it will unveil more details of its smartphone strategy. The group will report quarterly results 31 October.
