Sony Ericsson 'to make fewer phones'

Sony Ericsson - less phones, more cash
Sony Ericsson - less phones, more cash

Sony Ericsson has admitted that one of the reasons for its global slide is overloading the market with handsets, and will be bringing a smaller portfolio next year.

Speaking to TechRadar, Dave Hilton, marketing director for Sony Ericsson UK and Ireland, said the next step was going to be concentrating on setting up a smaller portfolio while maintaining the innovation he believed had been showcased by the release of the Satio, Yari and Aino.

"The next year will see a smaller number of handsets on our portfolio. That means fewer products, which in turn helps lower costs but still means we can offer new and innovative propositions to help maintain our strong market share."

PSP phone

Hilton also highlighted why there has been a move away from the Walkman and Cybershot sub-brands, and more crucially, why a PSP phone isn't high on the agenda for Sony Ericsson.

"We've brought a better gaming experience to mobiles, and [I don't think] we need the PlayStation brand for that.

"It's something we're looking to step away from today [using sub-brands] as when you're looking at the higher end of the market consumers want it all: good gaming, video, music etc. With a sub brand, you're kind of putting a limit [on the phone].

"[The PlayStation brand] is a slightly different example, the question is more how we can bring the PlayStation experience to phones, so I'd rather never say never [over a PSP] phone.

"The Walkman and Cybershot brands will continue, and there's clearly ongoing development there, but it will be used in mid- to lower-end phones, simpler handsets, and they'll be placed lower in the Sony Ericsson portfolio."

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.