Sony Ericsson bringing AM/FM radio to a series of new phones

Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) and Sweden-based Ericsson Telecommunications Co. (NASDAQ: ERIC), announced to Billboard Wednesday that the company would be incorporating AM/FM radio features into selected new devices and phones before the end of the year. Designed for global markets, the R300 Radio and R306 Radio phones will be launched in South America first with hopes that the specific AM capability will spur emerging markets and consumer interests in sporting events and listening to music.

According to Billboard, the new phones resemble transistor radios but are not equipped "to allow users to download tracks from the radio but do have a feature that identifies the song and artist played." Sony Ericsson's marketing VP for South America, Stephan Croix, told the trade paper the devices are part of "a very simple and straightforward concept that will make music more relevant in the mass market," as opposed to more sophisticated technology like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iPhone that merges music capabilities with phone and Internet functions.

Sony Ericsson recently issued a second profit warning for 2008, hoping to recover in the second quarter after falling behind rival South Korea-based LG Electronics in the first quarter. The warning points to declining European sales, which could indicate why the new radio/phone devices are being pushed in South American markets, in addition to the obvious reasons outlined above. The company is also hoping for a massive resurgence in quarter three with the launch of the new Xperia X1 handset in September. The release of the iPhone and how it performs after this week will only add to complications and competition Sony Ericsson may have before the radio/phones are released regionally and later globally.