Sony Ericsson split: 5 good things that could happen

The Gadget Show  Thursday 27 October 2011

Sony Ericsson is set to split into two companies again after a decade of making mobile phones together, with Sony buying out Ericsson’s share in the business. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, and there’s a lot of potential for Sony to make some fantastic handsets. Read on to find out more.

We’ve seen some outstanding phones over the years – including one of the first handsets with a colour screen (the Sony Ericsson T68i) and more recently, the stunning Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. Now the two companies have separated, what can we expect from Sony and its new smartphone business?

Check out our Sony Ericsson Xperia Active hands on!

Play With Sony now the driving force behind its mobile phone industry, there are no limitations when it comes to the features Sony wants to implement. This means we could see more PlayStation features in the future, with gaming becoming a big part of Sony’s smartphone range.

Quality and design Although we love smartphones like the Xperia Arc, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that Sony Ericsson’s handsets always feature plastic designs. High-end Sony VAIO laptops, on the other hand, feature aluminium, carbon fibre and other high-tech materials. Now Sony is in control of design, could we see carbon fibre adopted for smartphones, or other high-tech and tactile materials to finally take on the Apple iPhone 4?

Common features Sony makes all manner of electronic devices, including laptops, netbooks and tablets. With smartphones now under the same banner, it’s likely that software and features will be shared across the range, letting you get more out of your smartphone if you own other Sony products.

Class-leading products Sony is rarely willing to settle for second best, offering a range of gadgets that are well made, look fantastic, and cost reasonable prices. It’s always struggled slightly when it comes to selling smartphones, but perhaps it was held back. Now in complete control of its smartphone business, you can expect to see a host of new handsets launching in the not too distant future.

Cross-platform technology As well as sharing features across different devices, Sony has some stunning gadgets on the market and we’d love to see some of the features implemented on smartphones. How about including the rear touchpad from the Sony PS Vita, for extra control during games? Or maybe making a miniature version of the Sony Tablet S2, with two split screen displays that become one?

We’d love to hear what you think, so leave a comment below.

Check out our Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S review!