Sony Ericsson launches smartphone for China Mobile

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson said on Tuesday it would introduce its first smartphone for the Chinese market that runs on the network of China Mobile, the world's biggest mobile carrier.

Sony Ericsson, owned by Ericsson and Sony Corp., said it had developed the A8i with China Mobile to operate on its TD-SCDMA network.

"China is a hugely important market for Sony Ericsson and we are committed to maintaining our strong position and driving growth by continually introducing new and exciting products into this market," Sony Ericsson Chief Executive Berg Nordberg said. Smartphones have been garnering a bigger share of the handset market as users look for functions like gaming and video on their mobiles.

Sony Ericsson's strategy is to grab a bigger slice of the higher-priced smartphone market to boost profitability.