What happened to Sony's Xperia smartphones?

Sony continues to release new smartphones in Japan and select European countries, but its official presence in the US market has completely dried up. Newer models like the Xperia 1 VIII and Xperia 10 VIII skip an American release entirely, meaning buyers must import them and face potential network compatibility hurdles. While Sony's phones maintain niche appeal for photographers by offering manual controls and physical shutter buttons, declining global sales and fierce dominance from Apple and Samsung have drastically reduced the brand's footprint in the modern smartphone industry.