He added he was working on shortening the window between the device announcement and when it actually hits the market, and said he was talking with some of the other carriers.
MacDougall said that Sony has a goal of being No. 3 in the world and offering consumers a legitimate alternative to Apple and Samsung.
But that looks increasingly tough as the Chinese vendors appear ready to dominate with superior scale and the ability to reach both the ultra high and low end of the market.
Even in the US, Nookala conceded that Sony's share was "significantly low." A company like ZTE, meanwhile, has shown faster growth by supplying a number of carrier partners with affordable phones.
CNET's full coverage of Mobile World CongressSony doesn't seem interested in pursuing the low end. While the company unveiled a mid-tier phone in the Xperia M2, it doesn't want to go too cheap and damage the brand.
"Our focus is to secure value, not volume," MacDougall said.
He argued that the M2 would be a competitive device in emerging markets, where the Sony brand remains strong.
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