SONY Ericsson plans to launch its Playstation-style phone in China later this year to lift sales in the world's biggest mobile phone market, the company said yesterday.

Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play, a touchscreen Android smartphone with Sony PlayStation console controls, was shown at a Barcelona conference last month.

The Xperia Play is expected to debut in China "slightly later than its debut in the United States," according to Sony Ericsson.

That device will go on sale in the US in April, media reported.

Sony Ericsson aims to lift its global share of Android handsets to at least 25 percent from 14 percent now, Bloomberg News said, citing Sony Ericsson's CEO Bert Nordberg.