Yamamoto International: Relying on its key strengths in order to compete with rivals, Japanese technology giant, Sony has unveiled its latest weapon in the smartphone wars – a high-end device featuring a 4K display.

Dubbed the Xperia Z5 Premium, the phone offers a 5.5-inch screen that crams in a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels and promises to be as frugal with battery life as standard Xperia models with standard HD resolution.

4K technology is typically found in high-end televisions but Sony’s move to install it in a smartphone is raising questions among industry-watchers who argue that there is a distinct lack of available content shot in 4K resolution to make such high specification necessary.

“There are plenty of opinions floating around, many of which suggest that 4K could go the same way as 3D which flopped because there wasn’t enough content to make the additional expense of making and, indeed, purchasing 3D-compatible televisions worth buying,” said an Yamamoto International technology sector analyst.

Sony continues to struggle in the highly competitive, but slowing, smartphone market coming under pressure from Apple’s ubiquitous iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy models and impressive offerings from Chinese handset makers like Huawei and Xiaomi.

“Sony’s tried to focus more intently on its strengths by disposing of its PC business and spinning off its audio and video units into separate companies. Instead, it’s concentrating on its entertainment areas like TV programming, movies and its PlayStation console business in its bid to return to profitability,” said the Yamamoto International analyst.