LyrArc Article Gist
The smartphone market is critical for Sony as it makes its way back to profitability in 2013. Sony sees smartphone unit sales growing at 50% in the year ending March 31, 2013, compared to a decline in unit sales of video camcorders of 9%, decline in digital compact cameras of 29%, and decline of televisions of 31%. The Sony-Ericsson joint venture was a world apart from the current Sony Mobile business. Sony Mobile executive vice president, Kaz Tajima, expressed his frustration that Sony was missing opportunities when working at the joint venture. Decisions came slowly as they had to be approved at different levels. Sony Mobile moves quickly on all decisionmaking. Companywide technological capabilities are also quickly available in designing a new product. The Experia Z uses all of Sony's technological capabilities in design, cameras, television and other areas. It now appears that the joint venture was the worst thing that happened to Sony. Sony bought out Ericsson's stake in the venture in 2011. Sony starts with global smartphone market share of about 4.5% and has a lot of catching up to do....

LyrArc Article Gist
Apple reports a slowdown in iPhone sales, with a less than 1 percent in increase in sales, for fiscal first quarter ending Dec. 26, 2015, over the prior year quarter. Revenue is expected to decline by 11% for the quarter ending in March 2016, over the prior year, first such decline in 13 years. Analysts say Apple will have to reduce gross margins of about 40% to increase sales. Apple CFO Maestri says Apple increased prices in some markets because of the strong dollar. When the stronger dollar is excluded from results for the quarter ending Dec. 26, 2015, sales revenue increased by 8% over prior year quarter, according to Apple. As Apple slows down its shares financial performance is stalled at about $100. Apple tried to present a different picture now that China sales are slowing down- it said that users had "engaged" with 1 billion Apple devices whether iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, in the last 90 days, by downloading an app, song or movie. These services geneated $5.5 billion in revenues for the quarter ending in December, a 15% increase over prior year quarter....