Android Helps Sony Ericsson Boost Profits

From PC World: Sony Ericsson reported a profit for the third consecutive quarter as the company's Android-based smartphones continue to help it turn around its fortunes.

The company reported a third-quarter net profit of €49 million (US$69 million), compared to a loss of €164 million a year earlier and a profit of €12 million in the previous quarter. However, revenue for the quarter fell to €1.6 billion from €1.62 billion a year earlier.

Smartphones now represent 50 percent of Sony Ericsson's sales. The company didn't detail how much of that came from its Android-based smartphones. However, during the second quarter about 80 percent of the smartphones Sony Ericsson sold were based on Android, and that share has likely increased, according to Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.

Today, Sony Ericsson offers four Android-based smartphones: the Xperia X10, the X10 mini and mini pro, and the X8, which started shipping earlier this month.

The company's goal is to become the biggest maker of Android phones by value. Key to achieving that will be to increase the number of countries where its phones are available and the number of operators that sell them, especially in North America. Today, AT&T sells Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10 and Canadian operator Rogers sells the Xperia X10 and the Xperia X10 mini.

Asked if Sony Ericsson plans to develop CDMA smartphones for Verizon Wireless, CEO Bert Nordberg said that people could draw their own conclusions as to what has to be done in order to grow in the U.S.

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