Sony teases flagship phone to challenge iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3

Sony won’t give up the fight to become Apple and Samsung’s equal and plans to develop a smartphone that will stand toe to toe with the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3, a company exec has vowed.

Speaking to the Financial Times Deutschland, Dennis Van Schie, head of sales and marketing at Sony Mobile, said: “We will create in the near future a flagship model that can complete with Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S3.”

It’s a bold statement, especially given that the phone-maker made a loss of £924 million in the 2011 financial year, even if much of it can be attributed to its acquisition of Ericsson’s stake in the business.

Still, Sony’s fortitude is commendable. It certainly makes decent products, but what it’s perhaps lacking is direction and the kind of strong marketing strategy that the likes of Apple and Samsung are able to execute so effortlessly. It also needs that killer phone.

According to an unnamed Sony spokesperson, the handset is likely to be unveiled at Sony’s press conference at CES 2013 in Las Vegas, followed by an appearance at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona before the landing on store shelves.

When asked about Sony’s plans to create a Windows Phone handset, Van Schie said: “We have a good relationship with Microsoft and the development of Windows Phone are watching closely.”

He went onto tease that “If it [Windows Phone] succeeds, we will not be caught off guard,” possibly referring to a Windows Phone prototype Sony is already rumoured to have developed.