After a decade of manufacturing electronics together, Sony and Ericsson are parting ways. We first learned of the plan for Sony to buy-out Ericsson’s share of the partnership a couple months ago. Then came word confirming what many of us smartphone fans had been wondering about, that products would start being sold solely under the Sony name by sometime mid-next-year. We may not quite be there yet, but we’re already starting to see signs of the company removing traces of Ericsson.

If Sony-branded smartphones are to begin hitting shelves in six months or less, we should hope to start getting our first glimpses of such hardware in the near future. Earlier this week, some pictures showed what looked like it could be the first-such Android from this Sony-only era. Problem is, we have our doubts about its legitimacy, and it now looks like a fan-made concept.

Even if we’ve yet to see the company’s phones drop the Ericsson, there’s still evidence of the change currently underway. An image just surfaced showing one of its offices in London in the midst of what could be an identity-change, showing the previous Sony Ericsson signage removed from the building’s exterior. While the new one has yet to emerge, it’s likely going to be some of the first concrete evidence of the name-change. Following this move, we should hope to finally start seeing the new branding on phones themselves as new products are shared as we get into the early-2012 trade show cycle.

Source: Pocket-lint