Sony has been making some intriguing smartphones lately, but it hasn’t sold much. Naturally, this might make you wonder if at some point the Japanese electronics giant will decide to close down operations to cut losses, exiting the smartphone business entirely, following in the footsteps of the likes of LG and HTC. The answer is negative. The revelation that Sony will continue to make Android smartphones for many years to come comes from a rather interesting source: Qualcomm.
The chipmaker announced today in a new press release that it has extended its partnership with Sony to provide the Japanese company with the Snapdragon platform for future smartphones. It’s a “multi-year” agreement that covers premium, high-end, and mid-range equipment.
So there’s a good chance Sony will continue with its existing range, and since there’s no mention of “low end,” we don’t think it will expand into this competitive market.
Sony and Qualcomm’s “joint effort will focus on integrating Qualcomm Technologies’ advanced Snapdragon mobile platform into Sony’s future smartphone lineup, providing users with enhanced functionality, higher performance and more immersive experiences experience,” the release said.
Tsutomu Hamaguchi, Head of Sony Mobile Communications Business Unit, said:
The Xperia 1 V is Sony’s latest flagship smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform and has been well received by customers. We look forward to continuing to work with Qualcomm Technologies to deliver premium and compelling experiences on future Snapdragon-powered smartphones. We’re always listening to our customers in order to develop cutting-edge technologies that meet and exceed their expectations, and we believe Qualcomm Technologies will help us continue to drive the industry forward.
