Hasta La Gadget!

Ericsson has announced that it will trim 5,000 jobs as part of continued efforts to streamline operations amid uncertainty in the world economy, according to the Associated Press. The move comes as the company reports strong global handset sales but weakened profits, even as Sony Ericsson (Ericsson’s handset unit) continues to lack a robust U.S. lineup.

Some analysts believe that 2009 could be a deciding year for the struggling handset maker, particularly with regard to the smartphone market. “The expectation of a sales slowdown in 2009 for Sony Ericsson in the European and Japanese markets means the company needs to build presence in markets such as North America where market share has historically been limited,” said Gartner research director Carolina Milanesi in a statement. “We believe that 2009 will be a deciding year for Sony Ericsson as it battles between profitability and market share growth.”

Last week, a 35-year-old man in Sweden was arrested after stealing a batch of prototype phones from Sony Ericsson’s Lund offices.