Japanese tech giant Sony, which has struggled to keep pace with market demand in the smartphone era, plans to debut a smartphone to take on the Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5, according to a company executive.

Dennis van Schie, head of sales and marketing for Sony Mobile Communications, was quoted as saying by IT news service CNET on Friday that Sony will unveil a "flagship" smartphone at the Consumer Electronics Show, the world's largest technology trade exhibition, in Las Vegas in January.

He did not elaborate on details of the new device, but hinted that it will run on the Android operating system.

It remains to be seen whether Sony, which has seen chronic losses in recent years, will be able to revive its flagging fortunes with the ambitious plan.