Sony Ericsson up on Satio return

Sony Ericsson claims Sony Ericsson's UK market share has rise by two per cent following the reintroduction of the Satio by Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U
Sony Ericsson’s share of the contract market has risen by two percentage points following the reintroduction of its Satio handset to the Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U.

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> At the end of November, Carphone and Phones 4U pulled the Satio from shelves for software problems. Both retailers reintroduced the handset to their ranges two weeks later following a software update from Sony Ericsson.

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Sony Ericsson senior marketing manager Richard Dorman said: “Since the Satio was reintroduced back into Carphone and Phones 4U, it has sold in very good volumes. According to GfK statistics, we’ve seen an increase in share of our contract business by a couple of percentage points since the Satio went back on sale.”

He would not disclose Sony Ericsson's precise share currently.

Dorman admitted that Vodafone dropping the Sony Ericsson X2 from its range due to delays – a handset it was exclusive operator partner for in the UK – was a blow but insisted the rest of its product portfolio for this year would make up for its loss.

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><!--[endif]--> “The X2 being dropped by Vodafone wasn’t great news,” he said. “However it was never going to be one of our ‘mega launches’ – it’s not all about the UK for us and it is being sold in other markets.

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><!--[endif]--> “Our portfolio for this year will cover for that loss. The X10, which is our first Android-based phone and is due for release in Q1, has received a lot of positive feedback and we’ll be releasing many exciting products as the year progresses.”