Sony Mobile yanks feature phones from India

There will be no more feature phones by Sony Mobile Communications in India by September as a "demonstration" of the handset maker's focus to transform into a global smartphone vendor, one report states.

According to India's Economic Times on Wednesday, P. Balaji, managing director of Sony Mobile Communications India, revealed that the company is phasing out its entire feature phones line as it puts all its bets into smartphones. It currently has some seven feature phones available in the market, the report noted.

"Our research tells us people are willing to pay more for a smartphone to enjoy genuine mobile Internet experience. We expect the trend to get stronger as 3G data services become more affordable and gain traction," the executive said.

He did add the Japanese phonemaker has no plans to start manufacturing smartphones locally, claiming the present volumes do not justify an investment in this area.

"Though appetite for smartphones is growing, they still account for a modest 10 percent of the 150 million mobile phones sold annually in India," Balaji explained.

Sony Mobile Communications manufactures mobile phones in Japan, China and Mexico and has a research and development center in Sweden, the report noted.