The decline in sales of Sony smartphones has led to rumors that Sony could exit the cell phone manufacturing business in the coming months.
It wouldn't be the first.
Major brands like LG have made this decision in the past to focus resources on other growth areas.
However, Qualcomm has come out to deny these rumors and has confirmed that Sony will continue to manufacture Android smartphones for several more years.
Why is Qualcomm so confident, and what has it said to refute these false rumors?
We'll tell you all about it below.
Qualcomm says Sony will continue selling smartphones for many years to come.
Qualcomm Technologies is an American company that focuses on the design and development of technologies and products for the mobile communications and electronics industries. Its primary focus is on the development of chips (SoCs) for mobile devices and other electronic products, as well as the research and development of wireless technologies.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors are used by many mobile device manufacturers to power their smartphones and tablets, and Sony is one of them. Sony began its relationship with Qualcomm by using Snapdragon processors in its Xperia series mobile devices . And we know they've had a very good business relationship ever since.
This is why the chipmaker's press release has been so important in putting an end to rumors about Sony's exit from the market with its mobile phones.
Qualcomm announced that its partnership with Sony has been extended to include the Snapdragon platforms that will power the Japanese company's high-end and mid-range premium devices for several years.
These chips will integrate a variety of essential components, including the CPU, GPU, communications modem, and more, into a single package, enabling efficient performance and lower power consumption in Sony devices.
The entire statement given about the Sony and Qualcomm collaboration focused on the integration of Snapdragon platforms into mid-range and high-end mobile phones; nothing was mentioned about the low-end, so it's possible that Sony is considering abandoning this highly competitive market.
Following Qualcomm's comments, Tsutomu Hamaguchi, head of Sony's mobile communications business unit, commented as follows:
“ Xperia 1 V , Sony’s latest flagship smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, has been very well received by customers. We look forward to continuing our work with Qualcomm Technologies to deliver engaging, premium experiences on future Snapdragon-powered smartphones. We always listen to our customers to develop cutting-edge technology that meets and exceeds their expectations, and we are confident that Qualcomm Technologies will help us continue to drive the industry forward.”
So if you're the lucky owner of a Sony Xperia smartphone, you'll have support and updates for a long time to come.