Sony fans in the United States for years have been left in the dark as the Japanese giant continues its aggressive plan of releasing a new flagship phone every 6 months. When we do get products, they tend to be many months behind Europe and Asia where Sony’s mobile efforts enjoy much more support and acceptance. All of this is likely to change in late 2014 when it’s believed Sprint will carry Sony smartphones for the first time.

Earlier this year, Softbank Corp, one of Japanese largest telecommunication companies, announced merger plans with Sprint. It remains unclear if the tie to a Japanese firm helped Sony navigate the waters better, but according to reports, the new partnership will have Xperia products, likely the Sony Xperia Z3, in Sprint stores “for the winter holiday season.”

Without a lack of official announcement, it remains to be seen if this is an exclusive agreement for Sony or a sign of things to come as the company needs as much carrier support as it can muster. Beyond hardcore fans of the brand, Sony has no real presence in the US market. In 2103, Sony only had a 2.1 percent share of the global smartphone market and entering the US market can go a long way towards changing that. Sprint is the 3rd largest carrier in the US though they’ve faced fierce competition this year from the fourth largest carrier, T-Mobile, thanks to their ‘No Carrier’ campaign.

In the past, Sony has had light carrier support, most recently with T-Mobile but with a lack of marketing behind it, it likely resulted in little gains. If Sony hopes to make a dent in the US market, they must also recognize that a well-funded and well thought out campaign is also required in order to make any noticeable gains.

Discuss:

Would you change to Sprint in order to get a Sony smartphone?

[Via Reuters]