NEC to exit smartphone business: Nikkei
Japan’s NEC Corp plans to exit its loss-making smartphone business after a deal with Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group failed to materialize, the Nikkei reported.
The two companies have a partnership in the personal computers business and NEC was in talks with Lenovo for a deal for its smartphones operations since late 2012, the Japanese daily reported.
The Japanese electronics company had offered Lenovo a majority stake in NEC Casio Mobile Communications, its subsidiary that makes smartphones. Casio Computer Co and Hitachi are among NEC Casio’s current investors.
NEC, once a market leader in the smartphones business in Japan, currently has a market share of about 5 percent, the business daily said.
The Japanese company will now focus on conventional handsets and plans to sell some of its mobile phone-related patents, according to the Nikkei.
NEC will reassign majority of NEC Casio employees to other group firms, the paper said.
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