NEC and Lenovo are already joined at the hip in the PC business, and rumors that the two will soon be smartphone partners as well continue to gather steam. Lenovo confirmed that it's started "preliminary negotiations with a party in connection with a potential joint venture transaction," and while it didn't name names, Japanese media sources and Reuters are claiming that it's NEC. Lenovo's the number two three smartphone vendor in China but doesn't have much of a presence elsewhere, and NEC, while a leader in Japanese handset sales, is still in a "difficult state," according to the company. Lenovo has the cash it needs and hasn't been shy about plans to expand its mobile business, so a relationship with NEC would make sense, if true -- and could help Lenovo realize those ambitions more quickly.
Filed under: Cellphones, Lenovo
Source: Reuters
We already knew that Sharp's been asking around for some much-needed help recently, and now we can all breathe a sigh of relief, as Nikkei is reporting that said manufacturer has finally found a new friend to help co-develop its energy-efficient IGZO LCD panels. Set to announce as soon as Tuesday (presumably Japan time), the deal will involve Qualcomm initially throwing in five billion yen ($61 million) by the end of the year, with a double-down of another five billion yen after "sufficient progress has been made." There's no timeline yet on when (or if) a full investment would be secured, but if all goes to plan, Qualcomm will eventually hold nearly five percent of Sharp's stock, whereas Sharp will more or less get back the 10 billion yen it lost to Sony following the termination of their joint venture earlier this year. Not a bad way to prepare for 2013, eh?
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays
Via: Reuters
Source: Nikkei (subscription required)