Sony has had plenty of success with its image sensors, which are market leading in their sector. The company could now be tempted to spread its component wings with a report today suggesting that the Xperia manufacturer is interested in making its own processors. Sony would be following in the footsteps as other mobile brands Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and LG.

Digitimes out of Taiwan (admittedly with a patchy track record) says that Sony is looking to follow a similar path to the main players in the industry.

Samsung and LG are unique amongst those as they design and build their own processors (Exynos and NUCLUN respectively). Apple (AX) and Huawei (Kirin) merely design their silicon and farm out the other producers, which in Apple’s case means great rival Samsung on occasion. Apple is the only one that uses its own chipsets exclusively and does not turn to other providers such as Qualcomm or MediaTek.

We would think that Sony is more interested in following the same route as Samsung and LG and will produce and design its own products. That will give the Japanese giant control over its processors but could also lead to another successful component division that provides for rival companies, much like the Exmor mobile imaging division.