Tokyo — Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, the 50-50 mobile-phone-making joint venture between Sony and Stockholm, Sweden-based Ericsson — which traces its start back to 2001 — reported a 29 percent increase in sales for the third quarter, hitting $2.1 billion, up from $1.6 billion in the year-ago period.
Phone units shipped in the third quarter reached 10.7 million, a 51 percent rise over the 7.1 million shipped in the same three months a year earlier. The company said 10.4 million units were shipped in this year’s second quarter, with market share reaching about 7 percent.
Sony Ericsson continued its profitable growth in the third quarter, reporting income before taxes of $167.9 million, which more than tripled, compared with the $48.2 million registered in the same quarter a year ago. Net income jumped 45 percent to $111.1 million in the third quarter, up from a year-earlier $76.6 million.
The company said over 60 percent of its phones sold during the three months featured integrated cameras, “illustrating our position as a market leader in mobile imaging,” according to Miles Flint, president. Average selling price of the company’s phones moved up to $194 in the third quarter from $179 in the second.
