Sony Mobile Communications has revised downward its shipment target for smartphones for fiscal 2018 (April 2019-March 2019) to 6.5 million units from seven million projected previously.

The revised figures will represent a decline of 51.9% from the 13.5 million units shipped a year earlier.

The company cited fierce competition from Apple in Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe, as well as increasing competition from China-based brands such as Huawei and Oppo in markets outside China.

Sony Mobile also expects its handset business to generate revenues of JPY490 billion (US$4.393 billion) with an operating loss of JPY95 billion for the fiscal year.

The company expects the introduction of its high-end flagship, the Xperia 1, mid-tier Xperia 10 and the entry-level Xperia L3 will bring a turnaround of its handset business in new fiscal year.

Sony Mobile is also developing 5G-enabled smartphones, supporting both sub-6GHz and mmWave technologies with its first 5G-focused model likely to debut before the end of calendar 2019, according to industry sources.