Here's how many Xperia smartphones Sony shipped in Q4 2020

Unlike LG, which is rumored to be selling its smartphone business, Sony appears committed to the Xperia division for the long-term and that (partially) paid off in the final quarter of 2020, as revealed by its latest financial results.

Sony shipped 1 million Xperia phones last quarter

The Japanese brand sold 1 million Xperia smartphones in Q4 2020, down almost a quarter from the 1.3 million devices shipped twelve months earlier. Any sales drop is obviously negative, but there are some positives to take from these results.

First of all, the final quarter was Sony’s best quarter of 2020 in terms of Xperia shipments. It represented an increase of 66.6% over the third quarter when the brand shipped just 600,000 smartphones.

The other positive note is that total revenue for the Mobile Communications division, which also includes some internet-related services, was almost unchanged at $1.057 billion in Q4 2020 versus the $1.080 billion recorded in Q4 2019.

These stable revenue numbers, despite the significant drop in smartphone sales, point towards an increase in the average selling price of Xperia devices in the holiday quarter. That, in turn, implies stronger flagship sales, likely of the Xperia 5 II which launched in mid-October.

Sony had previously forecast a profit for its Mobile Communications division during the fiscal year ending March 2021. However, it’s unclear if the business is still on track to meet these objectives.