Sony Ericsson predicts long wait for Android phone

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 20 Apr 2009 at 08:59

Sony Ericsson is exploring Google's Android operating system, but says it will be some time before it produces a smartphone based on the OS.

Most handset vendors are rushing out phones using Android software, hoping to benefit from consumer demand, but Sony Ericsson says it will not be rushing into anything.

"It does require a lot of evaluation, as well as a lot of testing, a lot of acceptance from a consumer viewpoint, and there is still some time to go," says chief executive Hideki Komiyama. "Looking ahead I think that we see this as one of the important operating systems, there is no doubt."

Loss-making Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Japan's Sony Corp and Sweden's Ericsson, has decided to use three operating systems in its high-end phones - Symbian, Android and Microsoft's Windows Mobile.

"Our focus is on how can we differentiate from the competitors using the same operating system," Komiyama says, adding the firm was focusing its investments on user experience and user interface.