While Sony Ericsson was still dripping red ink in its last full year, despite an increase in unit shipments of 35%, one could surmise that perhaps Android is not a moneymaker for the company. Of course, it is too early to tell if high-end devices like the Sony Xperia S or Sony Xperia ion can turn that around. Buying out former joint venture partner Ericsson also can make a difference in the bottom line.
The PS Vita UI
Just in case the red ink keeps flowing, Sony might have a plan on the horizon to replace Android with its own Vita OS, currently used on the PS Vita mobile device. Incoming Sony President and CEO Kazuo Hirai is supposedly giving thought to using the Vita OS on Sony smartphones and tablets. And while Vita OS could be a great gaming system in the future, it still would need a lot of work to be a well rounded operating system. Sony Senior VP Yoshio Matsumoto said, "If you’re asking if we’ve made it in a way that’s expandable, so that it’s possible to apply to smartphones and tablets on top of achieving the high responsiveness we need for gaming devices -- it is possible. That doesn’t mean that we’re applying it to smartphones and tablets at this point in time, but it’s been designed with expandability in mind."
The lads at Phandroid tested out the PS Vita at CES and found it to be, "incredibly smooth and responsive. And while the OS is nowhere close to being as functional as Android, it has potential. Sony would need to work very hard on releasing a plethora of applications and services, though." But don't expect a change overnight. If something like this were to happen, it would require a lot more work on Sony's part and we are looking at years in the future, not weeks or even months.
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: