A big part of the slow turn around story for Sony is hinged upon the success of Sony Mobile, the division responsible for smartphones, tablets, and VAIO computers. Thanks to increased sales of their Xperia smartphones, Sony was able to raise their revenue to $3.9 billion, more than double of their previous quarter. This resulting in Sony posting a much lower loss of $198 million last quarter. With an increased focus on mobile and the fall of HTC and LG in smartphones, Sony Mobile was elevated to the number 3 in global smartphone sales with Samsung and Apple definitively leading the number one and two spot.

Now, Sony Mobile has passed another milestone. Beating our rival Android smartphone maker HTC in UK has propelled Sony Mobile to become the number 2 Android smartphone in the country. Mobile Today reports that in Q3 of 2012, Sony was able to move 500,000 Android smartphones while HTC shipped 440,000 in the UK. While both numbers combined still pale in comparison to Samsung who shipped 3.2 million, it’s still a healthy sign for Sony Mobile.

Many, including Sony itself, credit the rise to the promotional boost their device received with the release of Skyfall, the latest James Bond film. The Sony Picture film helped create some cross promotional advertisement for their sister division and even saw to it that James Bond used a Sony Ericsson Mobile phone. What UK MD of Sony Mobile, Pierre Perron had to say, after the jump.

 ‘All sources are confirming the same trend – that we are jumping into second place in the UK Android segment. This is what all our customers are telling us, that Sony Mobile is considered a top player in the UK Android space.’ 

He went on:

 ‘very positively’ to the launch of the Sony Mobile brand earlier this year, and to the major marketing campaign behind Skyfall, the latest James Bond movie, which featured its Xperia T smartphone which was launched exclusively through O2. Perron said: ‘Skyfall has boosted the visibility of our smartphones and has also been a marvellous marketing tool for the brand.’ 

Under new CEO, Kaz Hirai, Sony has been scrambling to better integrate their many services and have them compliment one and other. Kaz has been heavily attempting to use PlayStation, Sony Music, and Sony Pictures as a leveraging point for consumers to purchase an Xperia handset, as oppose to the other countless Android handsets available on the market. Perron continued:

 ‘More and more of our partners are asking us to work more closely with them. It is no longer about just launching a smartphone and hoping consumers will buy it. It is about the story we are telling, offering the very best content experience. That content is becoming more important.’ 

If Sony Mobile can continue to offer meaningful cross promotion with their other divisions while shipping handsets to the US on time, as oppose to 6-7 months after their initial announcements, the company has a good chance at escilating their presence and attracting new customers. Of course, a good marketing campaign wouldn’t hurt either, something that Sony has struggled to offer in the past, despite offering a solid device.

Discuss:

Is Sony a good marketing campaign away from catching up to rival Android maker Samsung?