UPDATED: Sony's Xperia Z4 might not launch at MWC in March after all

UPDATE: New reports suggest Sony is changing its release cycle from two flagship smartphones a year to only one. Is this the cause of the Z4's delay?

According to Jonathan Lin, General Manager of Sony's Taiwan branch "Our current strategy is on how to extend product life cycle, for which we plan to offer more mobile content and new color phones."

Sony's flagship Xperia Z series typically launch just six months after its predecessor. Although this meant that every half year Sony comes out with a top-of-the-range smartphone with some of the latest features and hardware, it has also proved to be a risky strategy.

Sony's smartphone business is struggling, so this new approach could be in response to this. The Xperia Z4's move to later in the year could be our first indication that Sony is changing course.

Original story continues below...

With CES having come and gone it seems the best place for Sony to unveil its upcoming Xperia Z4 is MWC 2015 in March, but that might not happen either.

According to Xperia Blog's sources the Sony Xperia Z4 will launch in the summer, not at the Barcelona trade show.

Past rumors, including a December leak related to the next James Bond film, have suggested as much, although Sony has traditionally launched its Xperia flagships in March.

This isn't definitive word, so Xperia fans can certainly hold out hope for a big announcement from Sony at MWC. Either way we'll know in less than two months.