Since Sony bought out Ericsson from their joint mobile venture, we’ve been seeing some pretty impressive devices from the Japanese giant and while they’re nothing to really speak of here in the US, they seem to be doing well elsewhere around the globe, especially at home in Japan. 2014 is shaping up to be the year the company makes another big push, as profits for the company as a whole are falling and the company looks in rougher shape than we think Sony would be in. Sony Mobile has a target to ship 50 Million smartphone from April 2014 to March 2015, and according to DigiTimes, the company has already placed orders for half of that figure.
According to a new report from DigiTimes, Sony has ordered 25 Million devices from three Taiwanese ODMs, FIH Mobile, Compal Communications and Arima Communications. Arima Communications is said to be in charge of producing 10 – 12 Million 3G and 4G smartphones, which gives them the Lion’s share of Sony’s large order. Last year, the company lowered its target to ship 46 Million smartphones to 40 Million, and came in just shy of that figure shipping 39.1 Million smartphones. From April 2014 to March 2015, the company is hoping to ship 50 Million smartphones and while the company has started late, with the Xperia Z2 taking a long time to get to market, it looks like Sony could meet this target.
They might not be much of a presence here in the US, the carriers don’t take lightly to newcomers it seems, but Sony’s mobile division has become something of a success in Asia as well as Europe. We’re sure that the Sony branding has helped them, but great devices like the Xperia Z2 will also help get their devices into consumer’s hands. Does Sony have what it takes to become a big, global smartphone player? Let us know what you think in the comments below.