Sony Ericsson's earnings nearly tripled in the fourth quarter, boosted by strong sales of Walkman phones, an Associated Press report said.
The report said the company's net profit rose to 144 million euros ($174 million) in the three months ending Dec. 31, up from 55 million euros ($66.5 million) in the same period in 2004.
Quarterly sales grew 15% to 2.31 billion euros ($2.8 billion), from 2.01 billion euros ($2.4 billion) a year earlier, the report said.
The report said the company said it shipped 16.1 million handsets in the fourth quarter, up 28 % from the previous year.
The launch of Walkman phones has helped Sony Ericsson tap the rising popularity of devices that can carry music, and the company also moved to gain a greater share of fast-growing markets by introducing cheaper handsets in emerging markets.
Sony Ericsson said it has sold 3 million Walkman branded phones since the launch in August 2005.