A story from Finnish outlet Suomimobiili reports that Sony is pulling its smartphones from the local market and turning its focus to online channels.
Sony’s latest phones, including the Xperia 1 VII, are currently unavailable on Sony Finland’s website and those of its partners, and are expected to remain unavailable.
Sony confirmed that the Xperia 1 VII won’t be sold in Finland and that the company is focusing on “online shopping channels to provide customers with a smoother shopping experience”. Sony says its flagship is available from its own online store and via Amazon in selected European countries.
It’s a similar story in other European markets. Sony’s online store doesn’t list the Xperia 1 VII in most European countries – Germany and the United Kingdom are notable exceptions.
It appears Sony is indeed downscaling its smartphone business in the European market. Combined with the recent issues Sony’s been having with its Xperia 1 VII in its home market of Japan, it doesn’t bode well for the future of Xperia phones.
Here is Sony’s full response to SuonmiMobiili: “The Xperia 1 VII is not available for purchase directly through Sony in Finland. However, we are constantly assessing market profitability and customer demand. We are currently focusing on online shopping channels to provide our customers with a smoother purchasing process. Currently, the Xperia 1 VII can be purchased directly from Sony’s official online store and through Amazon in selected European markets. Sony remains committed to fulfilling all maintenance and upgrade obligations for existing customers as usual,”