Sony Ericsson has had a shaky history. While holding its own in the mobile market, it doesn"t shift units on the same level as big players like Apple or HTC. According to new reports, the venture may be coming to an end as Sony looks to close on a deal to buy Ericsson"s half of the business, ending a partnership that lasted for over 10 years. The move will enable Sony to bring its mobile division closer to home, where it can work closer with other branches on interoperability.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the biggest hurdles Sony faces are trying to come up with an accurate figure for how much Ericsson"s share is worth. Extras like mobile patents are harder to value, but estimates place the worth of such patents as somewhere between $1.3 billion to $1.7 billion. Despite these issues, deals are expected to be made sooner rather than later.
The venture is currently the sixth biggest mobile phone maker in the world, but Sony hopes that bringing the mobile division closer will be beneficial. Sony is hoping that the move will save on costs and bring the mobile side of business more in sync with the rest of the company. With the new Playstation Vita offering 3G support, it"s easy to see where Sony"s mobile division will fit into a company that grows more and more mobile as technology progresses.