Sony to buy Ericsson’s stake in Sony Ericsson joint venture?

With Sony foraying into the tablet scene with the Tablet P and Tablet S offerings, we’re sure that some were probably wondering when they would start putting out their own phones. Granted that Sony Ericsson is a joint venture between Sony and Ericsson, it appears that Sony is close to closing a deal that would buy out Ericsson’s stake in their mobile phone joint venture.

This has yet to be officially announced although there were mentions dating back to 2009 that Sony was reportedly interested in buying out Ericsson, and if these new reports are to be believed, that could indeed be happening soon. According to people who are familiar with the matter, by buying out Ericsson, Sony would have full control and will be able integrate their smartphone business with the rest of their other products.

This integration has been evidenced recently, what with the Tablet P and Tablet S which are direct offerings from Sony, while the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play seems to have its roots in Sony’s PSP and Playstation gaming consoles, and even some Sony Ericsson phones are starting to see Sony’s Bravia technology being integrated into their displays. Both companies have naturally declined to comment at this point and no word on how much this deal could cost Sony, although some are saying that Ericsson’s stake is currently valued between $1.3 billion to $1.7 billion.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones, Tablets
Tags: acquisition, ericsson, Smartphones, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Tablet