Arima Communications handset shipments to peak at 5-6 million units in 3Q08

Arima Communications is expected to ship two million handsets in the first quarter of this year, with the shipments growing to 2.5-3 million units in the second quarter before peaking at 5-6 million units during the July-September period, according to sources at Taiwan-based handset component makers.

Handset shipments for all of 2008 are expected to total 14-16 million units, up from 9.5 million units shipped in 2007, the sources estimated.

Arima will begin shipping the T270 and T280 to Sony Ericsson in the first quarter, followed by the R300 Radio in the second quarter, while phasing out production of Sony Ericsson's T250, K200 and K220 during the first half, the sources noted.

Arima will also manufacture four new handsets for LG Electronics this year with total shipments expected to reach two million units, indicated the sources, noting that all of the four models, including the KP320 slated for shipment in the first quarter, will be built using handset solutions from MediaTek.

Arima's other handset clients also include Sharp of Japan and imobile of Thailand, said the sources.

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