Sony is apparently chatting with its mates Ericsson to buy out the stake in their mobile phone joint venture.

The big idea is to help Sony recoup the mobile ground against the likes of Apple and Samsung. At the moment tablets, games devices and other consumer electronics are offered under the Sony brand, while smartphones come under Sony Ericsson. The pact has been running for nearly a decade and Sony and Ericsson have been talking for weeks about the future of the 50:50 joint venture. The pair must decide this month whether to renew their 10-year-old pact.

Sony is rumoured to be wanting a buyout. If it does the deal could be worth upwards of $1.3 billion, depending on what agreement the two reach about the continuing use of Ericsson's telecoms patents.