The ToyBox

Ricardo Bilton & Gloria Sin

Sony Ericsson CEO says they turned down building Google's Nexus One

By | February 18, 2010, 6:28am PST

Summary: Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg has told a publication in Sweden that Sony was first asked to build the upcoming Google smartphone, the Nexus One, before HTC got the call - but they turned it down. Big mistake?

Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg has told a publication in Sweden that Sony was first asked to build the upcoming Google smartphone, the Nexus One, before HTC got the call - but they turned it down.

Big mistake?

According to an interview Nordberg had with the Sydsvenskan newspaper recently, the Sony Ericsson leader said that the company is not interested in building phones for any other brand, and if they are going to make it in the U.S. market, they’ll do it on their own. (I don’t know whether or not that is admirable, stubborn or foolhardy. You pick.)

Sony Ericsson is still partnering with Google on other Android-based phones (like the Xperia X10). However, and Nordberg says his company is already focusing on what they believe to be the next big realm of smartphones: gaming.

But given how much hype the Nexus One has already received before its released, it’s inevitable that thing is going to be big. Sony Ericsson might be a big phone manufacturer, but they could certainly use a boost in profits. A partnership like this could have led to even more big project partnerships and developments down the road.

Was this their golden opportunity, or were they right for sticking to their brand argument?

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily e-mail newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Topics

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

Disclosure

Rachel King

Rachel King has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for CBS Interactive in San Francisco. Before serving as a contributing editor at ZDNet in New York City for two years, she previously worked for The Business Insider, FastCompany.com, CNN's San Francisco bureau and the U.S. Department of State. Rachel has also written for MainStreet.com, Irish America Magazine and the New York Daily News, among others. Rachel has a B.A. in Mass Communications and History from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, where she served as art director for the student magazine, Plated.

11
Comments

Join the conversation!

Just In

Not quite the same
JulesLt3 22nd Feb 2010
So far, the Nexus has been a big hit
with tech bloggers, but less so with
the general public - initial sales
have been nowhere near the iPhone.

I'd say that when it comes to
hardware, Sony still have a good
reputation with the public - we tend
to forget how good the PSP was when
it debuted - and as the PSP shows,
unlike a lot of other players, they
have the experience in creating
development platforms.
0 Votes
+ -
next big thing?
bannedfromzdnetagain Updated - 18th Feb 2010
"the next big realm of smartphones: gaming..."
yes, in 2007 it was the next big thing. the old, clueless guy seems a little
late to the party. and turning down google? maybe there is a reason for
being in the red, bert. and the reason seems to be you.
I think Sony Ericsson needs to start producing some
good, ahead-of-the-game phones as they did years ago.
Before they start spending money on gaming, make a
smartphone that is a "killer" smartphone - THEN start
working on the gaming aspect. I think they need to
establish themselves with a good name, first. And
yes, I think they probably messed that up by passing
on the Nexus One. Look at all the media attention
Nexus One is getting - that right there is TONS of
free advertising. Especially in the US.
Gaming already has been big and will continue to be big for some time. Look at profits generated from the gaming industry in general.

So, once again Sony Ericsson is late to the 'game' just like with their smartphones.

They need to seriously just stop what they?re doing and think completely outside of the box- go where no phone manufacturer has gone before.
0 Votes
+ -
Sony is fibbing
scdaddyo 18th Feb 2010
They didn't want to be pioneers. But when there's a market for it that they recognize they'll be working hard to own that market.
Let's face it Sony Ericsson has a wonderful history of making terrible phones. Introducing the new Nexus One by employing a subpar cellphone manufacturer would be only be a early indicator that Google is devising a strategic plan for future bankruptcy.
If Bluray is of any indication of how Sony does its business, then at least ride on the coat tail of one of the leading software search company to get your business right.

As Vert has said, they make crappy handsets and their OS is nothing near 'user-friendly' coupled with hang ups and shut downs, what's the use of a phone that don't work at all in the first place?

Gaming? Gosh...can someone actually learn from Nokia Ngage failure???
Once again, Sorny = fail
I guess nobody here has heard of the PSP. Not that i'm an advocate of Game consoles, far from it, but adding 3G and a touchpad can't be that hard. I bet Nintendo will ally with someone else to get theirs too. The market niche will be 10-16 years old that want a iPhone, but to game "seriously".
After having been caught by Sony-Ericsson with the P990,
I don't care what they say, I will never buy another of
their products.
0 Votes
+ -
Sony Ericsson's move is almost as stupid as Verizon originally
turning down Apple to be the iPhone exclusive carrier in the
USA. We all know how that turned out...
0 Votes
+ -
Not quite the same
JulesLt3 22nd Feb 2010
So far, the Nexus has been a big hit
with tech bloggers, but less so with
the general public - initial sales
have been nowhere near the iPhone.

I'd say that when it comes to
hardware, Sony still have a good
reputation with the public - we tend
to forget how good the PSP was when
it debuted - and as the PSP shows,
unlike a lot of other players, they
have the experience in creating
development platforms.

Join the conversation!

Formatting +
BB Codes - Note: HTML is not supported in forums
  • [b] Bold [/b]
  • [i] Italic [/i]
  • [u] Underline [/u]
  • [s] Strikethrough [/s]
  • [q] "Quote" [/q]
  • [ol][*] 1. Ordered List [/ol]
  • [ul][*] · Unordered List [/ul]
  • [pre] Preformat [/pre]
  • [quote] "Blockquote" [/quote]
ie8 fix

The best of ZDNet, delivered

ZDNet Newsletters

Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox

Facebook Activity

White Papers, Webcasts, & Resources
ie8 fix