Successful launches of its latest smartphones, the XPERIA X10 and the Vivaz in particular, have helped Sony Ericsson gain an unexpected profit for the first three months of 2010.
Although mobile phone sales actually fell by 28% to 10.5 million, compared to the same time last year, the company still achieved a profit.
Sony Ericsson said it was because of new handsets and cutbacks – which is why its net profit is €21 million ($28 million/£18 million), whereas the same period in 2009 saw a loss of €293 million.
Highlighting the latest smartphones, XPERIA X10 and Vivaz as selling especially well, president of Sony Ericsson, Bert Nordberg said: “We are pleased to see the positive impact of both the launch of new products and the business transformation programme improving the company’s results.”
The XPERIA X10 is an Android-based smartphone with a 4 inch capacitive screen. Among its many impressive features is an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, and 8x digital zoom.
The handset is selling well and Sony Ericsson has introduced a miniature range – the XPERIA X10 Mini and the XPERIA X10 Mini Pro. The Mini and the Mini Pro come with a 2.55 inch capacitive screen and slimmed down features including a 5-megapixel camera. The Pro version has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to appeal to those who want a physical keyboard and a touchscreen. These are due for release shortly.
The Vivaz is all about the visual. Although the screen is just 3.2 inches, the smartphone has impressive HD video abilities including playing and recording HD videos. Sony Ericsson is launching a QWERTY version of the Vivaz soon, called the Vivaz Pro – a similar device but with a slide-out physical keyboard onboard.
While the company was slower than others to tap into the smartphone market, the new handsets released and on the horizon should ensure Sony Ericsson can continue to compete against the likes of the iPhone and BlackBerry.
You can read the full story on BBC News.
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