Sony Ericsson is not planning to develop any more smartphones powered by Symbian OS, leaving Nokia as the only top-tier handset manufacturer continuing support for the ailing handset platform. While Sony Ericsson has been gradually shifting its focus to Android, with the odd Windows Mobile device thrown into the mix, the company has been releasing new Symbian OS devices to the market in recent months, with the Vivaz (pictured) and Vivaz pro featuring in its current portfolio. The platform was also used in the flagship Satio device late last year, although the launch of this device was beset by software problems which led to it being temporarily removed from sale. The latest news originates from comments made by Jan Uddenfeldt, the company’s chief technology officer, to Swedish newspaper Ny Teknik.

Sony Ericsson’s decision to stop offering handsets powered by Symbian OS follows shortly after similar moves were announced by Samsung, which has also opted to put the bulk of its smartphone efforts behind Android. Other licencees including LG Electronics and Motorola moved away from Symbian OS some time ago, again with Android being the new platform of choice, although it should be noted that LG’s engagement with Symbian OS was always limited. Sony Ericsson’s departure from the device maker roster is unlikely to significantly affect Symbian OS’ position in the sales charts in the short term, as this is largely dependent on the efforts of Nokia: the OS is also still used in devices manufactured by Fujitsu and Sharp, which are sold exclusively by Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo.  However, it is a significant marketing blow, making the platform look more of a Nokia-only initative than it already did. Sony Ericsson remains a member of the Symbian Foundation, and it will be interesting to see if its involvement decreases with time. While the latest Symbian^3 platform is being hailed as a step forward by Nokia, which plans offering a portfolio of devices using the OS, further significant changes will take place in Symbian^4, meaning that Sony Ericsson may have opted to take a back-seat during the transition period.