Sony’s position in the smartphone market isn’t what it used to be. However, despite being eclipsed by Samsung and Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO, Sony continues to churn out handsets to this day. Moving forward, future high-end Sony phones could be made by a third party.
Sony turns to third-party manufacturers
This is according to a Japanese news publication that claims Sony will outsource the production of its phones to a third-party. Sony already uses third-party manufacturers for its mid-range devices. But in the future, even its high-end phones will be made by someone else.
The publication points to evidence that Sony’s official website no longer lists smartphones as its main products produced at its production facilities in Thailand and China. It also claims that this isn’t a temporary situation. Apparently, it is part of Sony’s long-term strategy for its smartphone business.
The report also claims that the recently launched Sony Xperia 1 VII 5G is the first smartphone made by a third-party company. However, as GSMArena points out, in its review of the device, it didn’t notice any differences in the overall build quality. This means that even though Sony doesn’t have a direct hand in manufacturing, it maintains its standards.
Not an uncommon move
Sony’s decision to use an outside company to manufacture its phones isn’t surprising. As we said, Sony’s presence in the smartphone market has dwindled in the past few years. In fact, what’s even more surprising is that the company still pushes out phones. This is despite the fact other brands offering better prices and similar specs.
Sony also did something similar with its VAIO series of laptops. In 2014, Sony sold off its VAIO PC business to another company, allowing the other company to leverage the VAIO brand without affecting Sony’s overall business.
We’ve also seen similar moves by other companies. This includes BlackBerry, which at one point shuttered its own production facilities. The company later licensed its brand and allowed others to make phones using its name. Now, it looks like Sony could be headed down that same path. But for now, Sony is still holding onto its brand.
