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Looks like HTC isn’t the only one having a tough time of it at the minute. Sony is planning on cutting 10,000 jobs from its global workforce, possibly before the end of the year. That’s 6 per cent of its total employees worldwide.
But that’s not all. It may also ask its seven executive directors — including chairman Howard Stringer — to return their bonuses, Japanese newspaper Nikkei reports (via Reuters). You know things must be bad when those at the top are feeling the pinch too.
A Sony spokesperson has been in touch with The Verge to emphasise there’s been no official announcement yet, and that the company has no comment.
The job losses are supposed to improve operational efficiency, and help the company focus on its mobile division. Sony announced it was buying out Ericsson from its partnership at the end of last year, following frankly disastrous losses.
The first phones to bear the Sony-only branding have fared pretty well so far, with the Xperia S scoring three-and-a-half out of five in our review. Hopes are also high for the Xperia Sola, which lets you surf the web without even touching the screen, and the Xperia Neo L, which is the company’s first mobile to come packing Ice Cream Sandwich.
Sony’s TV business seems to be losing a fair bit of cash, so expect more mobiles and fewer tellies from the Japanese giant. Sony has fully embraced Android, adding its own smart NFC tags that let you activate your phone’s features with a simple tap. The Neo L may be the company’s first Ice Cream Sandwich-toting handset, but that’s better than making promises and then not keeping them.
What do you think of Sony’s recent output? Is it right to focus on mobiles? And how can it stand out from other Android phone makers? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
