Sony chief: 'No guarantee' for mobile phone or other units

Sony's chief executive Kazuo Hirai has told the BBC that his firm's smartphone division needs to keep a "closer eye" on the return it makes on its investments.

The company has just unveiled a new mid-range smartphone at the Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona. But it opted not to announce a new top-end model at the event, breaking the six-month refresh rate it had maintained for its flagship phones over recent years.

Sony announced a corporate strategy change last month, saying that it was going to limit spending on mobile devices as part of efforts to return to profit.

The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones asked Mr Hirai if he might abandon the sector altogether.

Mr Hirai responded that there were no guarantees Sony would retain ownership of any of its businesses over the next five years.

You can follow Rory's coverage of MWC on his Twitter account @BBCRoryCJ.