Sony-Ericsson and a warning for Motorola

Handset maker Sony-Ericsson said it is having a tough time. According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), "the mobile-phone maker continues to be hit hard by a weakening economy in Western Europe, hurting demand for the mid- to high-end handsets it specializes in."

Of course, another big market for more expensive phones is America, Motorola's (NYSE: MOT) last stronghold. The U.S. company faces a double threat now. It does not have any "hot" model to compete with new products from Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Samsung, or Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). Now it appears that the recession is cutting demand for phones altogether.

Motorola may already be at a place where its handset operation cannot recover. Revenue in the division is dropping rapidly, and the unit is losing money. Its share of the global market has dropped from 22% two years ago to about 12%. And, the company's stock is down to a 52-week low of $7.20, about 65% down from its 52-week high.

No matter how hard it may be for other companies in the industry, the only firms that may do well over the next year are Nokia and specialized handset makers like Apple. Nokia has about 40% of the global market and sells modestly priced phones in rapidly growing markets including China and India. Apple gets the high end of the market.

In the middle is Motorola, with barely a hope of things getting better.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.