Editing Sony Mobile

{{short description|Former Japanese or Swedish-Japanese telecommunications company}}
{{for|the former LCD panels subsidiary|Sony Mobile Display}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = <small>Sony Mobile Communications Inc.</small>
| native_name_lang = ja
| former_name = Sony Ericsson (2001–2012) <br />
| logo = [[File:Sony Ericsson.svg|250px]]<br/>[[File:Sony logo.svg|200px]]
| logo_caption = Top: Sony Ericsson logo used from 2001 to 2012<br/>Bottom: Sony logo used from 2012 to 2021
| image = 
| image_size = 
| image_caption = 
| native_name = ソニーモバイルコミュニケーションズ株式会社
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| fate = Merged with [[Sony Corporation]]
| predecessor = [[Ericsson Mobile Communications]]
| defunct = {{End date and age|2021|04|01}}
| hq_location = [[London]], England (2001–2012)<br/>[[Lund]], Sweden (2012)<br/>[[Shinagawa, Tokyo]], Japan (2012–2021)
| num_locations = 
| num_locations_year = 
| area_served = 
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Katsumi Ihara (president, 2001–2004)|[[Miles Flint]] (president, 2004–2007)|Hideki Komiyama (president, 2007–2009)|Bert Nordberg (president, 2009–2012)|Kunimasa Suzuki (president, 2012–2014)|Hiroki Totoki (president, 2014–2018)|Mitsuya Kishida (president, 2018–2021}}
| industry = [[Telecommunications]]
| products = 
| owner = 
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = 
| parent = [[Sony Corporation]] (2012–2021)
| website = 
| footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=5642492|title=Sony Mobile Communications Inc.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg|website=www.bloomberg.com}}</ref><ref name="HQXperiaBlog">{{cite web|url=http://www.xperiablog.net/2012/07/05/sony-mobile-moving-hq-from-sweden-to-tokyo-on-october-1st/|title=Sony Mobile moving HQ from Sweden to Tokyo on October 1st|publisher=Sony Xperia Blog|date=July 5, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref>
| successor = 
| founded = {{start date and age|2001|10|01}}
}}

'''Sony Mobile Communications Inc.''', originally '''Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB''',<ref name="Ericsson — press release">{{cite web |title=Ericsson&nbsp;– press release |url=https://todayindianexpress.com/tech/season-20-battlegrounds-mobile-india-ranking-and-royal-pass-details-are-clear |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714192445/http://www.cisionwire.com/ericsson/sony-ericsson-mobile-communications-established-today |archive-date=July 14, 2009 |access-date=October 1, 2001 |publisher=Cision Wire}}</ref> was a [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] consumer electronics and [[telecommunications]] company, best known for its [[Mobile phones|mobile phone]] products. The company, originally a [[joint venture]] between [[Sony]] and [[Ericsson]], marketed products under the "Sony Ericsson" brand from 2001 until 2012, when Ericsson sold its share to Sony, with products hereafter being branded as "Sony".<ref name="acquired">{{Cite web |date=August 31, 2017 |title=Sony Europe |url=https://www.mynewsdesk.com/sony-europe/latest_news/tag/mobile |access-date=December 23, 2019 |website=Mynewsdesk}}</ref> As part of a corporate restructuring, Sony Mobile was superseded by and integrated into Sony Corporation in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sony integrated its electronics businesses including Sony Mobile |url=https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/ServiceArea/210401E/}}</ref>

The alliance between Swedish telecom giant Ericsson and Japanese electronics giant Sony was formed to benefit [[Ericsson Mobile Communications|Ericsson Mobile]] recover against competitors in the mobile phone market, while for Sony it gave the opportunity to grow in the field of [[Cellular network|cellular]] communication, where it had only a minor presence.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vickers |first=Amy |date=2001-04-24 |title=Ericsson rings up Sony alliance |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/apr/24/citynews |access-date=2025-05-22 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Products and development was done with contributions from both parties: the company itself was based in [[London]], England, with its design centre in [[Lund, Sweden]], and other research and development facilities in [[Beijing|Beijing, China]]; [[Tokyo|Tokyo, Japan]]; and [[San Francisco|San Francisco, United States]].<ref name="R&Dsites">{{cite web |title=Our design philosophy |url=http://www.sonymobile.com/cws/corporate/company/company/design |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514165731/http://www.sonymobile.com/cws/corporate/company/company/design |archive-date=May 14, 2012 |access-date=March 10, 2012 |publisher=Sony Mobile Communications}}</ref> The [[Ericsson T68|Sony Ericsson T68i]] was the first [[GSM]] phone released under the joint venture.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony Ericsson - T68i |url=https://www.mobilephonemuseum.com/phone-detail/sony-ericsson-t68i |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=www.mobilephonemuseum.com |language=en}}</ref> After the Sony acquisition, the company, now as Sony Mobile, moved its headquarters to Tokyo, Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony Mobile Communications Announces New Operational Structure and Reduction in Workforce |url=https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/News/Press/201208/12-0823E/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231210094720/https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/News/Press/201208/12-0823E/ |archive-date=2023-12-10 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Sony Group Portal - Sony Global Headquarters |language=en}}</ref>

Some of the most notable phones produced by Sony Ericsson include the [[Sony Ericsson T610|T610]], the [[Sony Ericsson K800i|K800i]] ([[Cyber-shot]] branded), the [[Sony Ericsson W810|W810]] ([[Walkman]]-branded), and the [[Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S|Xperia arc S]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-05-29 |title=The history of Sony Ericsson in phones: from the first color screen to the K series, the Golden Age |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529060218/http://www.phonearena.com:80/news/The-history-of-Sony-Ericsson-in-phones-from-the-first-color-screen-to-the-K-series-the-Golden-Age_id28660#8-Sony-Ericsson-K810i---2007-the-early-beginning-of-the-distant-end |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=published |first=Simon Hill |date=2016-07-01 |title=The very best - and worst - of Sony's phones |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/the-very-best-and-worst-of-sony-s-phones-1324126 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-03 |title=5 Greatest Sony Ericsson Phones Ever Made That Challenged Nokia During Their Dominant Time |url=https://www.mensxp.com/technology/smartphones/78934-greatest-sony-ericsson-phones-ever-made.html#Sony_Ericsson_K_Series |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=MensXP |language=en-IN}}</ref> Sony Ericsson was also the main user of the [[UIQ]] smartphone platform, but beginning in 2010 had switched over entirely to [[Android (operating system)|Android]]. After the end of the joint venture, the [[Sony Xperia|Xperia]] sub-brand of Android smartphones would be the only handsets under the Sony brand, although Sony Mobile also developed [[tablet computer]]s (Xperia Tablet), [[smartwatch]]es ([[Sony SmartWatch]]) and [[fitness tracker]]s (Sony SmartBand).

At its peak in 2007, Sony Ericsson, Sony Mobile's predecessor, held a 9 percent global mobile phone market share<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/business-15285258|title=BBC News - Can Sony succeed where Sony-Ericsson partnership failed?|date=October 13, 2011|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> making it the fourth largest vendor at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811050450/https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 11, 2018|title=Newsroom|website=Gartner}}{{full citation needed|date=November 2021}}</ref> In 2017, Sony Mobile held less than 1% global market share<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/30/sony-xperia-xz3-launch.html|title=Sony launches high-end smartphone with a TV screen on it|first=Arjun|last=Kharpal|date=August 30, 2018|website=CNBC}}</ref> but 4.8% in Europe<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/sony-and-samsung-put-pressure-on-huaweis-growth-in-europe|title=Sony & Samsung Pressure Huawei's Growth in Europe - Global site - Kantar Worldpanel|website=www.kantarworldpanel.com}}</ref> and 16.3% in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/view.php?ud=20170808000787|title=Samsung's smartphone market share doubles in Japan|website=www.theinvestor.co.kr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.androidheadlines.com/2017/08/data-samsungs-phone-share-japan-improves-q2-2017.html|title=Data: Samsung's Phone Share In Japan Improves In Q2 2017|first=Jordan|last=Ramstad|date=August 8, 2017|website=Android Headlines}}</ref> 

== History ==
=== Origins ===
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Telefon komórkowy SONY CMD-CD5.jpg
| image2            = Ericsson NH238 001.jpg
| footer            = A Sony and a Ericsson mobile phone from before the joint venture
| align             = left
| total_width       = 350
}}
The Swedish company [[Ericsson]] had been making mobile cell phones since the 1980s, with their very first handheld device being the Hotline Pocket introduced in 1987.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ericsson.com/en/about-us/history/products/mobile-telephony/mobile-phones--from-luggables-to-pocket-phones|title=1987|date=August 29, 2016|website=Ericsson.com}}</ref> In the United States, Ericsson partnered with [[General Electric]] in the early nineties as [[Ericsson Mobile Communications]] (ECS), primarily to establish a US presence and brand recognition. General Electric eventually left the joint venture.

Ericsson had decided to obtain chips for its phones from a single source—a [[Philips]] facility in [[New Mexico]]. On March 17, 2000,<ref name=Latour2001>{{Citation
 | title = A Fire in Albuquerque Sparks Crisis For European Cell-Phone Giants
 | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB980720939804883010
 | year = 2001
 | author = Latour, Almar
 | access-date = January 24, 2014
 | newspaper = The Wall Street Journal
 }}</ref> a fire at the Philips factory contaminated the sterile facility. Philips assured Ericsson and [[Nokia]] (their other major customer) that production would be delayed for no more than a week. When it became clear that production would actually be compromised for months, Ericsson was faced with a serious shortage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.husdal.com/2008/10/18/ericsson-versus-nokia-the-now-classic-case-of-supply-chain-disruption/|title=Ericsson versus Nokia - the now classic case of supply chain disruption|publisher=husdal.com|doi=10.1108/09600030410545463|access-date=July 22, 2011}}</ref> Nokia had already begun to obtain parts from alternative sources, but Ericsson's position was much worse as production of current models and the launch of new ones was held up.<ref>''"When the chain breaks"'' (June 18, 2006). ''[[The Economist]]'': A survey of logistics, p. 18.</ref>

Ericsson, which had been in the mobile phone market for decades, and was the world's third largest cellular telephone handset maker at the time behind Nokia and [[Motorola]], was struggling with huge losses and decreasing market share.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2001/01/30/europe/nokia/|title=Nokia profits up but slowdown seen - Jan. 30, 2001|website=money.cnn.com}}</ref> This was partly due to this fire as well as its inability to produce cheaper phones<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1287560.stm|title=Why Nokia is winning the phone war|date=April 20, 2001|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> or fashionably-designed phones like Nokia managed to do.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3193232.stm|title=Sony Ericsson sees first profit|date=October 15, 2003|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Speculation began about a possible sale by Ericsson of its [[mobile phone]] division, but the company's president, Kurt Hellström, said it had no plans to do so. Hellström said, "Mobile phones are really a core business for Ericsson. We wouldn't be as successful (in networks) if we didn't have phones".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/845619.stm|title=Ericsson's mobile worries|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=July 21, 2000}}</ref>

[[Sony]] was a marginal player in the worldwide mobile phone market with a share of less than 1 percent in 2000. By August 2001, the two companies had finalised the terms of the merger announced in April. Ericsson contributed a majority of the [[Ericsson Mobile Communications]] company, excluding a minor part spun off as [[Ericsson Mobile Platforms]]. Sony contributed its entire handset division. The company was to have an initial workforce of 3,500 employees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/42304/ericsson_sony_finalize_mobile_phone_joint_venture/|title=Ericsson, Sony finalize mobile phone joint venture|website=Computerworld}}</ref>
{{Clear}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+1997-2001 worldwide mobile phone manufacturers shipments (in 000s)<ref>{{Cite web |title=GartnerGroup's Dataquest Says Nokia Became No. 1 Mobile Phone Vendor in 1998 |url=https://www.tech-insider.org/mobile/research/1999/0208.html |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.tech-insider.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mobile Phone Sales Increased 65% in 1999 |url=https://www.wirelessnetworksonline.com/doc/mobile-phone-sales-increased-65-in-1999-0002 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.wirelessnetworksonline.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nokia distances itself from the pack |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/nokia-distances-itself-from-the-pack/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=ZDNET |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gartner Dataquest Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales in 2001 Declined for First Time in Industry's History |url=https://www.tech-insider.org/mobile/research/2002/0311-a.html |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.tech-insider.org}}</ref>
!
!1
!2
!3
!4
!5
|-
| rowspan="2" |1997
|Motorola
|Nokia
|'''Ericsson'''
! colspan="2" rowspan="8" |
|-
|25,328
|20,593
|15,914
|-
| rowspan="2" |1998
|Nokia
|Motorola
|'''Ericsson'''
|-
|37,374 (+81.5%)
|32,319 (+27.6%)
|23,827 (+49.7%)
|-
| rowspan="2" |1999
|Nokia
|Motorola
|'''Ericsson'''
|-
|76,335 (+97.5%)
|47,817 (+43.3%)
|29,785 (+14.8%)
|-
| rowspan="2" |2000
|Nokia
|Motorola
|'''Ericsson'''
|-
|126.4 (+60.4%)
|60,000 (+79.7%)
|41,000 (+72.6%)
|-
| rowspan="2" |2001
|Nokia
|Motorola
|Siemens
|Samsung
|'''Ericsson'''
|-
|139.7 (+10.5%)
|59,100 (-1.7%)
|29,800 (+10.2%)
|28,200 (+36.8%)
|27,000 (-35.0%)
|}

=== 2001 to 2010 ===
[[File:Sony Ericsson T610 (6144638049).jpg|thumb|[[Sony Ericsson T610]], the company's first hit product]]
Sony Ericsson's strategy was to release new models capable of digital photography as well as other multimedia capabilities such as downloading and viewing video clips and personal information management capabilities. To this end, it released several new models which had built-in [[digital camera]] and colour screen which were novelties at that time - examples include the [[Sony Ericsson T610]], the [[Sony Ericsson P800|P800]] [[UIQ]] smartphone, and later the [[Sony Ericsson K700|K700]] handset. The joint venture continued to make bigger losses in spite of booming sales - however it paid off as Sony Ericsson made its first profit in 2003<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> and in the following years steadily increased handset sales. The joint venture was regarded to have been a success.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/2002/03/07/0307tentech.html#58f06feb7788|title=Sony Ericsson Builds A Buzz|first=Arik|last=Hesseldahl|website=Forbes}}</ref>

[[File:SE P990i quer Wikipedia.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Sony Ericsson P990]]i]]
In 2005, Sony Ericsson introduced the [[Sony Ericsson K750|K750i]] with a 2 [[megapixel]] camera, as well as its platform mate, the [[Sony Ericsson W800|W800i]], the first of the Walkman phones capable of 30 hours of music playback. Later in October 2005, Sony Ericsson presented the first mobile phone based on [[UIQ]] 3, the [[Sony Ericsson P990|P990]].

Also in 2005, Sony Ericsson agreed to become the global title sponsor for the [[Women's Tennis Association|WTA Tour]] in a deal worth $88 million US dollars over 6 years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/sony-ericsson-signs-sharapova-global-ambassador/776401|title=Sony Ericsson signs Sharapova as global ambassador|access-date=January 2, 2018}}</ref> The women's pro tennis circuit was renamed the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Just over a month later on June 7, it announced sponsorship of [[West Indies|West Indian]] batsmen [[Chris Gayle]] and [[Ramnaresh Sarwan]].

In 2007, the company's first 5-Megapixel camera phone, the [[Sony Ericsson K850i]], was announced followed in 2008 by the [[Sony Ericsson C905|C905]], the world's first 8.1-Megapixel camera phone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-ericsson-launch-c905-8-megapixel-camera-phone/|title=Sony Ericsson launch C905: 8-megapixel camera phone|first=Joseph|last=Hanlon|website=CNET}}</ref> At [[Mobile World Congress]] 2009, Sony Ericsson unveiled the first 12-Megapixel camera phone, named [[Sony Ericsson Satio|Satio]].

On January 2, 2009, Sony Ericsson announced in [[Stockholm]] that it would have some of its mobile phones made in India, and that its two outsourcing partners, [[Flextronics]] and [[Foxconn]] would manufacture ten million mobile phones per year by 2009. CEO [[Miles Flint]] announced at a press conference held with India's communications minister [[Dayanidhi Maran]] in [[Chennai]] that India was one of the fastest growing markets in the world and a priority market for Sony Ericsson with 105 million users of GSM mobile telephones.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thelocal.se/20070131/6261|title=Sony Ericsson to make phones in India|date=January 31, 2007|access-date=January 2, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
[[File:SonyEricsson income2003to2009.png|thumb|right|250px|Annual net income or loss 2003 to 2009]]
Sony Ericsson's handset shipments fell from a high of 30.8m in Q4 1999 to only 8.1m in Q1 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonymobile.com/cws/corporate/company/aboutus/financialinformation|title=Financialinformation&nbsp;– Aboutus&nbsp;– Company&nbsp;– Corporate|publisher=Sony|access-date=July 11, 2011}}</ref> The company had made net losses in six of the 15 quarters and seen its cash reserves shrink from €2.2bn to €599m, after taking a €375m cash injection from its joint owners. The eclipse of the [[Symbian]] operating system, initially by Apple's iPhone, and then by [[Google]]'s [[Android (operating system)|Android]], has affected Sony Ericsson's position in the market. The company also struggled following the launch of [[Apple Inc.|Apple's]] [[iPhone (1st Generation)|iPhone]] in the third quarter of 2007.

[[File:Sony-ericsson idou.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Sony Ericsson Satio]]]]
Sony Ericsson was overtaken by its South Korean rival [[LG Electronics]] in [[calendar year|Q1]] 2008. Sony Ericsson's company's profits fell significantly by 43% to €133&nbsp;million (approx. US$180&nbsp;million), sales falling by 8% and market share falling from 9.4% to 7.9%, despite favourable conditions that the handset market was expected to grow by 10% in 2008. Sony Ericsson announced another profit warning in June 2008<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2008/06/30/sony-ericsson-issues-second-profit-warning-of-the-year-expects/|title=Sony Ericsson issues second profit warning of the year, hopes to break even in Q2|date=June 30, 2008 |publisher=Engadget|access-date=July 11, 2011}}</ref> and saw net profit crash by 97% in Q2 2008, announcing that it would cut 2,000 jobs, leading to wide fear that Sony Ericsson was on the verge of decline along with its struggling rival, [[Motorola]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trustedreviews.com/mobile-phones/news/2008/04/24/Sony-Ericsson-Profits-Crash-48-/p1|title=Sony Ericsson Profits Crash 48%|publisher=TrustedReviews|access-date=July 11, 2011|date=February 14, 2007}}</ref> In Q3 the profits were much on the same level, however November and December saw increased profits along with new models being released such as the [[C905]] being one of the top sellers across the United Kingdom.

In June 2008, Sony Ericsson had about 8,200 employees, it then launched a cost-cutting program and by the end of 2009 it had slashed its global workforce by around 5,000 people. It has also closed R&D centres in [https://web.archive.org/web/20101117195321/http://www.mepc.com/birchwoodpark/Home.aspx Chadwick House], [[Birchwood, Cheshire|Birchwood]] ([[Warrington]]) in the UK; Miami, Seattle, San Diego and [[Research Triangle Park|RTP (Raleigh, NC)]] in the USA;<ref name="WRAL">{{cite web|url=http://www.wral.com/business/story/6446521|title=Sony Ericsson to close RTP site|publisher=WRAL|date=November 18, 2009}}</ref> The Chennai Unit ([[Tamil Nadu]]) in India; Hässleholm and Kista in Sweden and operations in the Netherlands. The [[UIQ]] centres in London and Budapest were also closed, [[UIQ]] was a joint venture with [[Motorola]] which began life in the 1990s.<ref name="best2k.com">{{cite web |url=https://best2k.com/news-sony-ericsson
|title=Sony Ericsson to close down unit in Manchester|publisher=best2k.com|date=May 18, 2019}}|date=May2019</ref><ref name="Best2k">{{cite news |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5201539.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612092025/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5201539.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 12, 2011 |title=UK redundancies reach 25,000 in just a week |work=The Times |location=UK  |first=Lilly |last=Peel |date=November 21, 2008}}</ref><ref name="The Register">{{cite web |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/30/sony_ericsson_reorg |title=China wins, Symbian loses in Sony Ericsson reorg |publisher=The Register}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/4305325/Ericsson-to-cut-a-further-5000-jobs.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/4305325/Ericsson-to-cut-a-further-5000-jobs.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Ericsson to cut a further 5,000 jobs |publisher=Telegraph | location=London |first=Rupert |last=Neate |date=January 21, 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Bloomberg">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aB0MUA6dgOk4 |title= Sony Ericsson to Cut 2,000 More Jobs After Third Loss (Update3) |publisher=Bloomberg | date=April 17, 2009}}</ref><ref name="ZDNet">{{cite web |url=http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2009/04/17/sony-ericsson-to-lay-off-2000-more-workers-39641353 |title=Sony Ericsson to lay off 2,000 more workers |publisher=ZDNet}}</ref><ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/technology/companies/26ericsson.html?_r=1 |title=With Profit Down 82% for Quarter, Ericsson Plans More Job Cuts |publisher=NY Times | first=Kevin J. |last=O'Brien |date=January 26, 2010}}</ref><ref name="The Local">{{cite web |url=http://www.thelocal.se/23350/30091119|title=Sony Ericsson to close Kista development centre |publisher=[[The Local]]|date=November 19, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="The Hindu Business Line">{{cite web |url=http://thehindubusiness.com/2009/11/20/stories/2009112052150100.html
|title=Sony Ericsson to shut down Chennai unit |publisher=The Hindu Business Line |access-date=November 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224005037/http://thehindubusinessline.com/2009/11/20/stories/2009112052150100.htm|archive-date=December 24, 2009 |url-status=usurped  }}</ref><ref name="Phones Review">{{cite web |url=http://phonesreviewb.co.uk/2009/11/18/four-facilities-closing-and-2000-job-losses-with-sony-ericssoncom |title=Four Facilities Closing and 2000 job Losses with Sony Ericsson |publisher=Phones Review }}{{Dead link|date=May 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=== 2011 to 2020 ===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Sony Mobile Hallmark Power Button.png|180px|thumb|right|Sony Mobile Signature Power Button replaces Sony Ericsson Liquid Energy Logo as easy to identify design hallmark]] -->
[[File:Sony Xperia Z2.jpg|thumbnail|[[Sony Xperia Z2]], released in 2014, is Sony Mobile's former flagship device]]
On October 27, 2011, Sony announced that it would acquire Ericsson's stake in Sony Ericsson for €1.05 billion ($1.47 billion), making the mobile handset business a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony. The transaction's completion was expected to occur in January 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/Ericsson-Sony-acquire-iw-1504849123.html?x=0|title=Ericsson: Sony to acquire Ericsson's share of Sony Ericsson|publisher=[[Yahoo!]]|date=October 27, 2011|access-date=October 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.kompas.com/read/2011/10/27/13520476/Ericsson.Sells.Stake.in.Sony.Ericsson.to.Sony |title=Ericsson Sells Stake in Sony Ericsson to Sony |date=October 27, 2011 |access-date=October 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028115632/http://english.kompas.com/read/2011/10/27/13520476/Ericsson.Sells.Stake.in.Sony.Ericsson.to.Sony |archive-date=October 28, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.techit.in/2011/10/sonys-buying-50-stakes-of-ericssons-share-in-sony-ericsson-worthy-acquisition/ |title=Sony's buying 50% stakes of Ericsson's share in Sony Ericsson&nbsp;– worthy acquisition? |date=October 27, 2011}}</ref> At their keynote at the [[CES 2012|2012 Consumer Electronics Show]], Sony's [[Kaz Hirai]] announced that Sony Ericsson would be known simply as Sony Mobile Communications pending completion of the transaction. On January 26, 2012, the European Union approved the buyout.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-mergers-takeovers-idUSL6E8C50XE20120127 | work=Reuters | title=EU mergers and takeovers (Jan 27) | date=January 27, 2012}}</ref>  On February 16, 2012, Sony announced it had completed the full acquisition of Sony Ericsson.<ref name="acquired"/> On January 7, 2013, Sony Mobile completed moving its headquarters from [[Lund]], Sweden to [[Tokyo]], Japan in order to fully integrate with its parent company.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sony Mobile completes transfer of HQ to Tokyo|url=http://www.xperiablog.net/2013/01/07/sony-mobile-completes-transfer-of-hq-to-tokyo/|access-date=January 21, 2013 | work=Xperia Blog|date=January 7, 2013}}</ref> The first Sony-only mobile was the [[Sony Xperia S]] at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. In May 2012, Sony Mobile Communications announced that it would phase out all the feature (non-smart) phones in favor of "smartphones" by September 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sony to phase out feature phones by Sept|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/telecom/Sony-to-phase-out-feature-phones-by-Sept/articleshow/13410930.cms|access-date=May 22, 2012 | work=The Times Of India|date=May 23, 2012}}</ref>

Sony Mobile was the fourth-largest [[smartphone]] manufacturer by market share in the fourth quarter of 2012 with 9.8 million units shipped.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.xperiablog.net/2013/01/25/idc-says-sony-sold-9-8-million-smartphones-in-q4-now-ranks-in-fourth-place/|title=IDC says Sony sold 9.8 million smartphones in Q4; now ranks in fourth place &#124; Xperia Blog|website=www.xperiablog.net|date=January 25, 2013 |access-date=December 23, 2019}}</ref>

On July 2, 2012, Sony announced it was buying Gaikai, a cloud service to support its expansion into the cloud gaming realm. Sony paid a reported $380 million to acquire [[Gaikai]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/725511/sony-buying-gaikai-will-establish-its-own-streaming-content-service/ | work=G4TV | title=Sony Buying Gaikai, Will Establish Its Own Streaming Content Service (Jul 2) | date=July 2, 2012 | access-date=July 2, 2012 | archive-date=June 29, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629215106/http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/725511/sony-buying-gaikai-will-establish-its-own-streaming-content-service/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>  The Sony Ericsson Liquid Energy Logo, which was the hallmark logo used on Sony Mobile products up until the 2012 series of phones, was replaced with a new power button designed as the new signature hallmark to easily identify a Sony phone and this debuted with the 2013 series of Xperia mobile phones. The last phones to feature the Liquid Energy logo were the [[Sony Xperia T]] and [[Sony Xperia TX]], and the first phones without featuring it were the [[Sony Xperia J]] and [[Sony Xperia V]]. Both were unveiled at the [[Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin|IFA]] 2012. At the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show the [[Sony Xperia Z]] and [[Sony Xperia ZL]] were announced,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.techweez.com/2013/01/08/sony-intros-5-inch-xperia-z-and-xperia-zl-at-ces/|title=Sony intros 5" Xperia Z and Xperia ZL at CES|date=January 8, 2013|work=Techweez|access-date=January 2, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/sony-xperia-z-vs-sony-xperia-zl-149773/|title=Sony Xperia Z vs Sony Xperia ZL: waterproof vs compact flagship battle|date=January 24, 2013|work=Android Authority|access-date=January 2, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> followed by the [[Sony Xperia Z1]], unveiled during a press conference in IFA 2013, the [[Sony Xperia Z2]] during the 2014 [[Mobile World Congress]] in [[Barcelona]], Spain, and the [[Sony Xperia Z3]] in IFA 2014.

On October 30, 2014, Sony announced that Senior Vice President of Corporate Planning, Finance and New Business Creation Department Hiroki Totoki will replace Kunimasa Suzuki as president and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications with effect from November 16, 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.phonearena.com/news/Sony-to-replace-the-President-and-CEO-of-its-Mobile-Communications-branch_id62329|title=Sony to replace the President and CEO of its Mobile Communications branch|work=Phone Arena|access-date=January 2, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sony-smartphone/sony-changes-head-of-troubled-mobile-division-idUSKBN0IJ0NF20141030|title=Sony changes head of troubled mobile division|date=2014|work=Reuters|access-date=January 2, 2018}}</ref> Suzuki subsequently became the Group Executive of Sony Corporation after his departure from Sony Mobile Communications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://9to5google.com/2014/10/30/sony-hiroki-totoki-appointed-mobile-president/|title=Sony SVP Hiroki Totoki to take over mobile division as smartphone sales decline|author=Rossignol, Joe|publisher=[[9to5Google]]|date=October 30, 2014|access-date=December 21, 2014}}</ref>

In the last quarter of 2015, Sony Mobile had the highest per-handset-profit and average selling price of all major Android handset manufacturers.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Q4 2015 smartphone scorecard: Apple gazes down at the rat trap|first=Charles|last=Arthur|date=February 24, 2016|url=https://theoverspill.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/q4-2015-apple-android-pricing-rattrap-smartphone-profit/}}</ref> However, in terms of market share, Sony Mobile dropped out of the top 10 smartphone vendors globally for the first time in the first quarter of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_and_sony_fall_out_of_top_10_smartphone_vendors_in_q1-news-12399.php|title=Microsoft and Sony fall out of top 10 smartphone vendors in Q1|website=GSMArena.com}}</ref>

Sony Mobile has been the only major smartphone OEM that has given support to developing communities of smaller, hacker-focused mobile operating systems during this time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.xda-developers.com/jolla-collaborates-with-sony-open-devices-to-bring-sailfish-os-to-xperia-devices/|title=Jolla Collaborates with Sony Open Devices to Bring Sailfish OS to Xperia Devices|date=February 27, 2017}}</ref> In 2013 Sony released an experimental [[Firefox OS]] ROM for the [[Sony Xperia E]] device.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_releases_experimental_firefox_rom_for_xperia_e-news-5620.php|title=Sony releases experimental Firefox OS ROM for the Xperia E|website=GSMArena.com}}</ref> In 2017 Sony got [[Sailfish OS]] into its Open Devices program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsmarena.com/jolla_and_sony_come_together_to_bring_sailfish_os_to_xperia_devices-news-23689.php|title=Jolla and Sony come together to bring Sailfish OS to Xperia devices|website=GSMArena.com}}</ref> As a result, the Sailfish software has been officially ported to many Xperia devices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsmarena.com/sailfish_x_sailfish_os_for_sony_xperia_x_is_now_available_to_purchase_and_download-news-27675.php|title=Sailfish X (Sailfish OS for Sony Xperia X) is now available to purchase and download|website=GSMArena.com}}</ref>

As of Q2 2018, Sony Mobile's smartphone market share in Japan was 12.5%, behind [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] and [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shimaji-amekabu.com/entry/keizai/sumaho-syea|title=２０年前、誰もスマートフォンを持っていなかった時代から、今では、一人１台持っていているのが当たり前の時代になりました。2018年、現在のスマートフォンの世界におけるシェア、そして日本におけるシェアまとめ。|last=shimajirou37|date=September 20, 2018|website=しまじろうの資産運用|access-date=November 3, 2018|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923095948/https://www.shimaji-amekabu.com/entry/keizai/sumaho-syea|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On March 26, 2020, Sony announced that it will establish an intermediate holding company "Sony Electronics Corporation" effective April 1, 2020. Sony Electronics Corporation will incorporate the three businesses that comprise its Electronics Products & Solutions ("EP&S") segment (Imaging Products & Solutions, Home Entertainment & Sound, and Mobile Communications) and related global sales and marketing, manufacturing, logistics, procurement and engineering platforms.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/202003/20-021E/index.html|title=Sony Electronics Corporation to be Established|website=Sony Global - Sony Global Headquarters|access-date=March 26, 2020}}</ref>

== Operations ==
[[File:Sony Mobile ST Ericsson Lund 20120919 0061F (8264084949).jpg|right|thumb|200px|Sony Mobile (and [[ST-Ericsson]]) offices in Lund, Sweden]]
In 2009, Sony Ericsson announced that it was moving its North American headquarters from [[Research Triangle Park, North Carolina]], to [[Atlanta]]. The headquarters move was part of a plan to reduce its workforce, then 10,000 employees, by 20%. As of that year, Sony Ericsson had 425 employees in Research Triangle Park; the staff had been reduced by hundreds due to layoffs.<ref name="Dalesio">{{cite news|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJALq9Ldcq4R3Kw55f5VqSfeNOAQD9C235SG1|title=Sony Ericsson closes NC, other sites as HQ moves|author=Dalesio, Emery P|agency=Associated Press|date=November 18, 2009|access-date=November 18, 2009}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Stacy Doster, a spokesperson of Sony Ericsson, said that the proximity to [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport]]'s flights to Latin America and the operations of [[AT&T Mobility]] influenced the decision to move the USA headquarters. Sony Ericsson will close the Research Triangle site.<ref name="Dalesio"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/sony-ericsson-moving-north-203205.html|title=Sony Ericsson moving North American HQ to Atlanta|author=Swartz, Kristi E|publisher=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|date=November 18, 2009|access-date=November 18, 2009}}</ref> On August 23, 2012, Sony  announced heavy cuts of their work force in [[Lund, Sweden]]. In September 2014, Sony announced taking a €1.3 billion impairment charge on the Sony Mobile division<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sony-outlook-idUSKBN0HC0EC20140917|title=Sony heads for deeper loss as it shrinks struggling smartphone business|newspaper=Reuters|date=September 17, 2014}}</ref> and cutting another 15% of jobs - equivalenting about 1000 employees -  at Sony Mobile.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/sony-net-loss-forecast-raised-higher-for-current-fiscal-year-1410935006|title=Sony Turnaround Effort Falters, Expects $2.15 Billion Yearly Loss|author=Takashi Mochizuki and Eric Pfanner|date=September 17, 2014|work=WSJ}}</ref>

== Products ==
[[File:Sony Ericsson W595.jpg|thumb|A [[Sony Ericsson W595]]s mobile phone]]
{{For|detailed information about Sony Ericsson and Sony Mobile Communications products|list of Sony Ericsson products}}

=== Sony Ericsson smartphones ===
Sony Ericsson (originally Ericsson) was part of the [[Symbian Ltd.]] consortium and supported the [[UIQ]] pen-based touch interface for [[Symbian OS]]. The first Sony Ericsson UIQ smartphone was the [[Sony Ericsson P800]] in 2002. Sony Ericsson joined the [[Symbian Foundation]] in 2008 and soon [[UIQ Technology]] went bankrupt -<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thelocal.se/20090108/16792|title=More than 200 jobless following UIQ's bankruptcy|date=January 8, 2009|newspaper=The Local Sweden}}</ref> the [[Sony Ericsson Satio]] was released in 2009 running on Symbian^1, which would be succeeded by [[Sony Ericsson Vivaz]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/review_vivaz_pro.php|title=Sony Ericsson Vivaz & Vivaz Pro Review - My-Symbian.com - S60 5th Edition|website=my-symbian.com}}</ref> For the Japanese market, Sony Ericsson also produced [[Linux]] and Symbian-based [[MOAP]] handsets for [[NTT DoCoMo]], as well as [[REX OS]] for [[au (mobile phone company)|au/KDDI]].

Sony Ericsson launched their first [[Windows Mobile]] device in 2008, the [[Sony Ericsson Xperia X1|Xperia X1]], at the 2008 [[Mobile World Congress]] in [[Barcelona]], which carried the Windows Mobile operating system with a Sony Ericsson panel interface<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/11/mwc_sony_ericsson_announce_xperia_x1/|title=Sony Ericsson goes Windows Mobile with Xperia X1 'arc slider'|first=Scott Snowden February 11, 2008|last=at 08:13|website=www.theregister.co.uk}}</ref> and was manufactured by [[HTC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pocketnow.com/sony-ericsson-xperia-x1-made-by-htc|title=Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Made by HTC|first=Chuong|last=Nguyen|date=February 15, 2008}}</ref> They would further develop two more Windows Mobile devices: [[Sony Ericsson Xperia X2]] and Sony Ericsson Aspen in 2010. By this time, Sony Ericsson switched all its focus on Google's [[Android (operating system)|Android]] operating system.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/sony-ericsson-waves-goodbye-to-symbian-on-its-smartphones-719375|title=Sony Ericsson waves goodbye to Symbian on its smartphones|first=Marc Chacksfield 2010-09-27T09:50:00 269Z Mobile|last=phones|website=TechRadar|date=February 2022 }}</ref> The company's CEO did confirm a Sony Ericsson [[Windows Phone]] device called "Jolie" for 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pocketnow.com/sony-ericsson-ceo-confirms-wp7-device-for-next-year|title=Sony Ericsson CEO Confirms WP7 Device for Next Year|last=Brandon Miniman|date=October 15, 2010|access-date=October 24, 2018|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807204036/https://pocketnow.com/sony-ericsson-ceo-confirms-wp7-device-for-next-year|url-status=dead}}</ref> A prototype exists and was leaked on the internet in 2011, but no Windows Phone device was ever released.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2011/03/06/sony-ericsson-julie-windows-phone-7-prototype-phone-live-pictures/,%20http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2011/03/06/sony-ericsson-julie-windows-phone-7-prototype-phone-live-pictures/|title=Sony Ericsson Julie Windows Phone 7 prototype phone live pictures - MobileTechWorld}}</ref>

There was also a line of [[BRAVIA]]-branded clamshell smartphones that were released for the Japanese market between 2007 and 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/sony-ericsson-so903itv-bravia-cellphone-with-tv-in-min-229999|title=Sony Ericsson SO903iTV Bravia: Cellphone with TV in Mind|first=Charlie|last=White|website=Gizmodo|date=January 19, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fonearena.com/blog/17151/sony-bravia-phone-lands-in-japan.html|title=Sony Bravia Phone lands in Japan|website=www.fonearena.com}}</ref>

Since 2012 all products by Sony Mobile have been in the [[Sony Xperia|Xperia]] range and running the Android OS - the [[Xperia X10]] model launched in 2010 was the first to feature this. In 2011 Sony Ericsson carried a range of mid and high-end Android smartphones all using the same [[System on a chip|SoC]], only differentiating in form factor, screen size and multimedia capabilities. Although in 2012 the phones already carried the Sony brand on them, they were still (mostly) developed by Sony Ericsson, as can be seen from the green logo on the back of handsets like the [[Xperia S]] and [[Xperia T]].

=== Sony smartphones (Xperia) ===
{{main|Xperia}}
[[File:Sony SmartWatch Xperia Z1 SBH52 2.JPG|thumb|200px|left|A Sony SmartWatch wearable with an Xperia Z1 smartphone and a Smart Bluetooth Handset]]
The line-up in 2013 brought an entirely different design of phones, first seen on the [[Sony Xperia Z|Xperia Z]] smartphone, and called 'OmniBalance' (roughly translated as 'balance everywhere') by Sony.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.sonymobile.com/2013/02/08/behold-beauty-xperia-z/|title=Behold beauty – Xperia™ Z|author=Dan Casey|work=sonymobile.com|date=August 31, 2017 }}</ref> In 2014 Sony stated to be focusing more on the high-end phone market and reducing the number of low and mid-end products.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/08/05/sony-comments-on-mid-range-xperia-review-focus-on-profitability-over-scale/|title=Sony comments on mid-range Xperia review: Focus on profitability over scale|work=xperiablog.net|date=August 5, 2014 }}</ref> The first model launched in 2015 was the [[Sony Xperia Z3+|Xperia Z3+]], featuring updated internals in a body similar to the [[Sony Xperia Z3|Xperia Z3]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://developer.sonymobile.com/2015/05/26/announcing-xperia-z3-waterproof-and-dust-tight-with-5-2-full-hd-display-video/|title=Announcing Xperia Z3+, waterproof and dust-tight with 5.2" full HD display [video] – Developer World|website=developer.sonymobile.com}}</ref>

In 2016, Sony introduced the Xperia X series at [[Mobile World Congress|MWC]] 2016 to replace the Z series. The last device to launch under the Xperia X series was the [[Sony Xperia XZ3|Xperia XZ3]], a flagship device released in late-2018 featuring an OLED display, a first for Sony smartphones, then it got replaced by the number series introduced on the [[Sony Xperia 1|Xperia 1]] in 2019.

=== Wearables ===
[[File:Sony Smartband (12946168483).jpg|thumb|right|200px|Sony SmartBands on display]]
Sony (then Sony Ericsson) has been making [[Bluetooth]] enabled watches from as early as 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2006/09/28/sony-ericsson-and-fossil-team-up-for-bluetooth-watch/|title=Sony Ericsson and Fossil team up for Bluetooth watch|author=Paul Miller|publisher=AOL|work=Engadget|date=September 28, 2006 }}</ref> In 2010 the [[Sony Ericsson LiveView|LiveView]] smartwatch was launched,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_shows_liveview_micro_display_for_androids-news-1958.php|title=Sony Ericsson shows LiveView micro display for Androids|work=GSMArena.com}}</ref> featuring a colour [[OLED]] display that let the user view notifications and control the music player. Its successor was the [[Sony SmartWatch]] in 2012, of which two newer revisions have been made since.

In 2014 a fitness tracking band, named SmartBand, was introduced.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/5282290/sonys-new-core-fitness-tracker-will-be-the-heart-of-its-wearable-experience|title=Sony's new Core fitness tracker will be the 'heart' of its wearable experience (hands-on)|publisher=Vox Media|work=The Verge|date=January 7, 2014}}</ref> The device's data is accessed using an Android application named [[Lifelog#Lifelogging mobile apps|Lifelog]], which presents statistics about their everyday activities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/apps-services/lifelog/|title=Lifelog|publisher=Sony Mobile|work=Sony Mobile Communications Inc}}</ref> In 2015, a successor to the SmartBand was introduced, named SmartBand 2, which can track user's heart rate, movements, sleep, and the moments they are calm or excited.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/smartwear/smartband-2/|title=SmartBand 2|publisher=Sony Mobile|work=Sony Mobile Communications Inc}}</ref>

=== PlayStation Certified ===
In 2011, Sony Ericsson announced the first [[PlayStation Certified]] phone, the [[Xperia Play]] which meant that it had access to PlayStation Mobile games. The previously released [[Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc]] and [[Sony Ericsson Xperia acro|Xperia acro]] became the next PlayStation Certified devices followed by the [[Sony Xperia S]], [[Sony Xperia ion|Xperia ion]] and other Sony Tablets.

=== Applications ===
Sony Mobile offers a wide range of applications, ranging from music and videos to camera and gaming apps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/apps-services/|title=Sony Xperia's Application Range|author=Sony Mobile}}</ref> Some of Sony Mobile's most popular apps include:
*Cinema Pro - premium video recording application co-developed with [[CineAlta]] engineers.
*Photo Pro - a photography app that gives you [[Sony α|Alpha]]-like manual controls.
*Game Enhancer - makes gameplay much more convenient with various functions. 
*Lifelog - activity tracking and [[fitness app]] designed for Android devices.
*[[PlayStation Video]] - online film and television programme distribution service that first was offered by [[Sony Entertainment Network]].
*[[PlayStation 3|PS3]] or [[PlayStation 4|PS4]] Remote Play - [[Remote Play]] allows PS3 or PS4 games to be played on Xperia smartphones and tablets.

=== Former products ===
[[File:Sony Ericsson K750i (284505649).jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Sony Ericsson K750i]], released 2005]]
*PlayNow - Mobile Store for applications and themes
*Xperia Lounge - music, film and mobile entertainment app.
*[[TrackID]] - mobile music and audio recognition service.
*[[BRAVIA]] range - launched 2007 in Japan. To date, five BRAVIA branded phones have been produced: Sony Ericsson ([[FOMA]] SO903iTV, [[FOMA]] SO906i, U1, S004, and S005<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/product/foma/906i/so906i/index.html|title=SO906i|publisher=[[NTT docomo]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221063314/http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/product/foma/906i/so906i/index.html|archive-date=December 21, 2008}}</ref>).
*The [[Walkman]]-branded W series music phones, launched in 2005. The Sony Ericsson W-series music phones were notable for being the first music-centric series mobile phones. A notable feature was a 'W' button, which when pressed opens the media centre.
*The [[Cyber-shot]]-branded line of phones, launched in 2006 in newer models of the K series phones. This range of phones are focused on the quality of the camera included with the phone. Cyber-shot phones always include a flash, some with a xenon flash, and also include auto-focus cameras. Sony Ericsson kicked off its global marketing campaign for Cyber-shot phone with the launch of 'Never Miss a Shot'. In February 2008, the series was expanded with the announcement of C702, C902 and C905 phones.
*The [[UIQ]] smartphone range of mobiles, introduced with the P series in 2003 with the introduction of P800. They are notable for their touchscreens, QWERTY keypads (on most models), and use of the UIQ interface platform for [[Symbian OS]]. The range was subsequently expanded with the M series and G series.
*The GreenHeart range - first introduced in 2009 with the Sony Ericsson J105i Naite and C901 GreenHeart. Focused on an environmentally friendly theme, it mainly used eco-friendly materials and featured eco-apps.

==Sales units ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+<big>All these sales figures have been retrieved from [https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/er/archive.html Sony's Corporate Website].</big>
!Financial / Fiscal Year
!Q1 (April - June)
!Q2 (July - September)
!Q3 (October - December)
!Q4 (January - March)
!Total official sales figure
|-
|2001–02
|N.A.
|N.A.
|6.8 Million Units
|5.8 Million Units
|
|-
|2002–03
|5 Million Units
|5 Million Units
|7.1 Million Units
|5.4 Million Units
|22.5 Million Units
|-
|2003–04
|6.7 Million Units
|7.1 Million Units
|8.0 Million Units
|8.8 Million Units
|30.6 Million Units
|-
|2004–05
|10.4 Million Units
|10.7 Million Units
|12.6 Million Units
|9.4 Million Units
|43.1 Million Units
|-
|2005–06
|11.8 Million Units
|13.8 Million Units
|16.1 Million Units
|13.4 Million Units
|55.1 Million Units
|-
|2006–07
|15.7 Million Units
|19.8 Million Units
|26 Million Units
|21.8 Million Units
|83.3 Million Units
|-
|2007–08
|24.9 Million Units
|25.9 Million Units
|30.8 Million Units
|22.3 Million Units
|103.9 Million Units
|-
|2008–09
|24.4 Million Units
|25.7 Million Units
|24.2 Million Units
|14.5 Million Units
|88.8 Million Units
|-
|2009–10
|13.8 Million Units
|14.1 Million Units
|14.6 Million Units
|10.5 Million Units
|53 Million Units
|-
|2010–11
|2.0 Million Units
|3.4 Million Units
|3.6 Million Units
|3.5 Million Units
|12.5 Million Units
|-
|2011–12
|3.5 Million Units
|6.0 Million Units
|6.0 Million Units
|7.0 Million Units
|22.5 Million Units
|-
|2012–13
|7.4 Million Units
|8.8 Million Units
|8.7 Million Units
|8.1 Million Units
|33.0 Million Units
|-
|2013–14
|9.6 Million Units
|10.0 Million Units
|10.7 Million Units
|8.8 Million Units
|39.1 Million Units
|-
|2014–15
|9.4 Million Units
|9.9 Million Units
|11.9 Million Units
|7.9 Million Units
|39.1 Million Units
|-
|2015–16
|7.2 Million Units
|6.7 Million Units
|7.6 Million Units
|3.4 Million Units
|24.9 Million Units
|-
|2016–17
|3.1 Million Units
|3.5 Million Units
|5.1 Million Units
|2.9 Million Units
|14.6 Million Units
|-
|2017–18
|3.4 Million Units
|3.4 Million Units
|4.0 Million Units
|2.7 Million Units
|13.5 Million Units
|-
|2018–19
|2.0 Million Units
|1.6 Million Units
|1.8 Million Units
|1.1 Million Units
|6.5 Million Units
|-
|2019–20
|0.9 Million Units
|0.6 Million Units
|1.3 Million Units
|0.4 Million Units
|3.2 Million Units
|-
|2020–21
|0.8 Million Units
|0.6 Million Units
|1.0 Million Units
|0.4 Million Units
|2.9 Million Units
|}
[[File:SONY MOBILE SALES FIGURE.png|thumb|949x949px|The Sony Mobile sales figure from 2001 to 2021]]
[[File:Sony Mobile store Taipei flagship 20131011.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Sony Mobile store in [[Taipei]], Taiwan in 2013]]
{{-}}

== Marketing campaigns ==
[[File:I_love_music.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I Love Music" ad banner in Madrid in 2006]]
=== "I love" ===
On October 2, 2006, Sony Ericsson adopted a new corporate and advertising identity inspired by [[I Love New York]] in which the circular Sony Ericsson icon is placed instead of a heart meaning "love". This would then be followed by words, initially simple ones such as "music" or "photography" and later by for instance "my hip hop loud" or "life captured". The branding was designed by the [[Wolff Olins]] consultancy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/sony-ericsson-uses-i-love-new-york-idea/589337|title=Sony Ericsson uses 'I (Love) New York' idea|website=www.campaignlive.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/82/11904.html|title=Sony Ericsson unveils new brand identity|website=www.bizcommunity.com}}</ref> The campaign lasted until 2009 when it was replaced by multicoloured Sony Ericsson icons using Sony's slogan "make.believe".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chrisrawlinson.com/2009/07/sony-ericsson-adds-more-colour-to-logos/|title=Sony Ericsson adds more colour to logosChris Rawlinson - Adspiration - Chris Rawlinson - Adspiration|date=July 29, 2009|website=Chris Rawlinson / Adspiration}}</ref>

=== Social media ===
During 2010, in 11 months, Sony Ericsson's [[Facebook]] fan count rose from 300,000 to 4&nbsp;million to become the 40th-largest brand on the social networking site. The company aims to capitalise on this fanbase and increase engagement by profiling these fans and matching them to dedicated content. It will also analyse the top commenters on the Facebook page and ensure engagement through special content and offering these fans the chance to visit Sony Ericsson offices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/telecoms-and-it/sony-ericsson-faces-universal-appeal-test-in-social-media/3024057.article|title=Sony Ericsson faces "universal appeal" test in social media|author=O'Reilly, Lara|work=News|publisher=Marketing Week|date=March 3, 2011|access-date=July 11, 2011}}</ref>

=== Sports sponsorship ===
[[File:Guga Miami Open 2008 (5).jpg|thumb|200px|A [[Sony Ericsson Open]] tennis match in 2008]]
From 2007 to 2014, Sony Ericsson / Sony Mobile sponsored the [[Sony Ericsson Open]] tennis tournament in [[Miami]]. According to the head of global marketing partnerships,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/telecoms-and-it/sony-ericsson-aligns-sport-sponsorships-with-smartphones/3024667.article|title=Sony Ericsson aligns sport sponsorships with smartphones|author=O'Reilly, Lara|work=News|publisher=Marketing Week|date=March 22, 2011|access-date=July 11, 2011}}</ref> Stephan Croix, “our sport sponsorships allow us to promote our phones in a subtle and authentic way to our fanbase. Our promise to fans is to enrich their experience during the game but also before and after.” Sony Ericsson Open was renamed to Sony Open Tennis in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/sony-mobile-renames-sony-ericsson-open-tennis-tournament--865178|title=Sony Mobile renames Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament|website=www.telecompaper.com}}</ref>

Sony Mobile sponsored the [[2014 FIFA World Cup]] in Brazil<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.sonymobile.com/2014/06/26/football-for-social-change-future-goals-2014/|title=Football for social change - Future Goals 2014 - Sony Mobile Blog|date=June 26, 2014}}</ref> and was a former partner of the [[UEFA Champions League]].

== See also ==
{{Portal|Technology|Companies}}
* [[Media Go]]&nbsp;– music, photo, video, and game management software made for Sony Ericsson phones
* [[SonicStage]]&nbsp;– music management software made for Japan market phones
* [[PlayNow Arena|PlayNow]]&nbsp;– global content distribution portal
* [[FastPort]]&nbsp;– proprietary former Sony Ericsson data bus
* [[List of Sony products]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons|Sony Ericsson}}
* {{Official website|www.sony.com|name=Sony Corporation}}

{{Sony Ericsson phones}}
{{Sony phones}}
{{Sony tablet}}
{{Sony Corp}}
{{Major mobile device companies}}

[[Category:Sony Mobile| ]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:2021 disestablishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 2021]]
[[Category:Consumer electronics brands]]
[[Category:Electronics companies established in 2001]]
[[Category:Electronics companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Ericsson| ]]
[[Category:Japanese companies established in 2001]]
[[Category:Mobile phone manufacturers]]
[[Category:Mobile phones introduced in 2001]]
[[Category:Former Sony subsidiaries]]
[[Category:2012 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Telecommunications companies established in 2001]]
[[Category:Telecommunications companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Former joint ventures]]