Handset troubles at Psion's Symbian
Source: Daily Mail
Publication date: 2001-01-27
PSION'S Symbian venture has suffered another blow.
Leading member Ericsson, the Swedish mobile phone giant, confirmed serious troubles in making handsets and is turning production over to US specialist Flextronics. The disruption comes at a terrible time for Symbian.
This UK venture was formed in 1998 between Psion, Ericsson, Finland's Nokia, and America's Motorola, raising great expectations. It planned to produce smart devices combining a cell phone and a handheld computer, using Psion's operating system.
Psion (264p, down 31/2p) is pinning hopes on its 28pc stake.
Since then just two clumsy products have appeared, one from Ericsson.
Meanwhile US company Handspring has a device in the shops using the rival Palm system. Handhelds using Microsoft's PocketPC software hit the shops last summer, within weeks of the software's launch. Several have add-on mobile capability.
Japanese electronics group Mitsubishi recently unveiled a phone- andcomputer under the Trium brand using Microsoft.
Motorola, a Symbian member, is quietly considering defecting to the US software platform too.
These rivals are buoyed up by their growing customer base, and add- ons from independent developers.
When more Symbian products appear later this year, they will have much ground to make up. The latest setback hardly helps.
Publication date: 2001-01-27
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