A reader asks whether GSM carriers will start picking up the really hot Sony Ericsson phones anytime soon. Get the juicy details here.
Reader's question: Will AT&T, T-Mobile ever pick up high-end Sony Ericsson phones? Jeff J.
Editor's answer:
There's a good chance both carriers will pick up the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, because the smartphone will be manufactured by Taiwanese HTC. By using HTC, Sony Ericsson will simply be able to offer an end-user product that is cheap enough for the American market.
It's not likely to believe that we'll see brand new Cyber-shot or Walkman phones picked up by carriers anytime soon though, as these phones typically cost $400-500 per unit (similar to the Apple iPhone). High costs per unit combined with a low average revenue per customer, simply makes carriers reluctant to place their bets on the most advanced Sony Ericsson models. In Europe, Sony Ericsson's home market, the average cell phone user typically pays higher phone bills; hence the European carriers can afford increasing the subsidies on Sony Ericsson phones as well as the Apple iPhone for that matter.
Sony Ericsson is however still determined to grow their U.S. sales numbers, by offering carriers 1 to 2 year old phones such as the recently released Sony Ericsson Z750 and possibly the Sony Ericsson K850 later this year. Another way for Sony Ericsson to grow their numbers would be to support U.S. HSDPA bands in as many high-end phones as possible, which will increase the value of buying them unlocked while they are still relatively fresh.
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Top 15
|
|
|
» Search (New!)
Search by cell phone features
|
|
|
» Manual comparison (New!)
Select up to 4 cell phones side-by-side
|
|
|
» By release
May 2008, June 2008, Q3 2008
|
|
|
» Top 15 by carrier
Unlocked, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Helio, Alltel
|
|
|
|
» Top 15 by user type
Average Joe, Business users, Calling addicts, Fashion conscious users, Globetrotters, High-res addicts, Internet addicts, Multimedia enthusiasts, Music aficionados, Outdoor enthusiasts, TV addicts, Video lovers, More...
|
|
|
» Top 15 by brand
Apple, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia,
BlackBerry, Samsung, Sony Ericsson Other
|
|
|
» Top 15 by platform
Palm OS, Symbian S60, Symbian UIQ, Windows Mobile
|
|
|
|
» Top 15 by cell phone type
Business smartphones, Multimedia smartphones
Consumer QWERTY phones, Multimedia phones
Concept phones
|
|
|
|
_it00.jpg)
|
Archive