Sony Mobile to Cut 1,000 Jobs

Will lose 15 percent of its mobile workforce to reduce costs and shift over into smart phones.

Sony Corp. said Thursday that it plans to cut some 15% of its mobile-phone business's workforce, or about 1,000 jobs, to reduce costs and accelerate its push into the growing smartphone market.

The job cuts come after Sony took full control of its mobile-phone joint venture with Sweden's Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson earlier this year.

The importance of smartphones can't be overestimated for Sony. Demand is growing at a breakneck pace, and the versatile devices are starting to eat into markets for products such as music players, digital cameras and portable game machines.