Sony Ericsson and Nokia have confirmed that the Japanese earthquake will hit supplies of their brands, as they are expecting shortages of many handset components.
Nokia said it expects “some disruption” to supply for some products, due to the “anticipated” industry-wide shortage of components and raw materials from Japan. It did not expect first-quarter sales to be affected.
The company is in talks with suppliers in and outside Japan to ensure components can be sourced. Nokia executive vice president of markets Niklas Savander said: “Nokia’s supply chain management system is designed to mitigate operational disruptions. We use alternative sources for components and production processors.”
Sony has ceased operations in five of its sites in Japan because of the earthquake, halting production of Sony Ericsson handsets, camcorders, headphones and TVs.
A company statement said: “We are in contact with all our key suppliers in the region and are identifying relocation of certain components for manufacturing, and secondary sources of supply.”
HTC said its supply chains are “operating as normal”. Samsung reported it would monitor the situation in Japan and remain in “close consultation” with clients and suppliers.
Meanwhile, Vodafone and O2 are monitoring the situation regarding handset deliveries and say a full assessment will be completed in the coming weeks.
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