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.
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