Ericsson could announce plans in the coming week to withdraw from its handset JV with Sony, according to Matt Hoffmann, analyst for SoundView Technology Group. Initial figures indicate that Sony Ericsson handset sales were lower-than-expected in Q4 2002, with SoundView lowering its 2003 forecast for the JV. Hoffmann cited company sources indicating that an announcement regarding restructuring is imminent. He believes the most likely scenario would be for Ericsson to make a payment to Sony and withdraw from
