Sony CEO Kaz Hirai today said the company is in no rush to conquer the U.S. smartphone market, nor China's. "Those two are the most important areas for us and we'll put substantial resources there. But not yet for the U.S. and China," said Hirai, speaking to journalists in Japan. "It's not realistic to try to do everything at once. In the U.S. we'll start gradually." Sony wants its smartphones to be the third-best selling devices worldwide, behind the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The company has historically had poor traction in the U.S. At the moment, T-Mobile is the only U.S. carrier selling Sony's flagship Xperia Z smartphone, while Apple and Samsung's phones are available at all four of the major carriers. Rather than focus on tackling U.S. and China head on, Hirai said Sony is first aiming to win over consumers in Europe and its home market of Japan. Hirai didn't indicate when Sony might begin to make more effort in winning over U.S. smartphone buyers.


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