What you need to know • Sony CFO Lin Tao confirmed the company plans to continue supporting Xperia phones. • Tao called communication tech a vital part of Sony's long-term business focus. • Sony has recalled some Xperia 1 VII units in Japan due to a major shutdown bug.

Whenever we talk about Android smartphones, the brands that usually come to mind, at least in the U.S., are Samsung, Google, and Motorola. There was a time when other brands like LG, HTC, and even Sony Xperia were part of the conversation. But most of these companies have either exited the smartphone space or stopped selling their devices in the U.S.

At one point, it even seemed like the end of the road for Sony, especially when the company began outsourcing Xperia smartphone production to third-party manufacturers.

See Full Page