Arima Communications is expected to ship 14-16 million smartphones in 2014, increasing 20-30% from a year earlier, buoyed mostly by orders from Sony Mobile Communications, according to industry sources.

　　Arima is also likely to ink new ODM contracts with Motorola Mobility and LG Electronics in 2014 as the two vendors are aiming to ramp up their share in the entry-level to mid-range smartphone segment, the sources added.

　　Meanwhile, Arima has been in contact with a number of handset brand vendors in China for possible cooperation, noted the sources.

　　Arima saw its revenues slip 20% sequentially to NT$7.91 billion (US$262.76 million) in the fourth quarter of 2013 due to off-peak season effects. Accumulated 2013 revenues totaled NT$31.37 billion, increasing 47.5% from a year earlier.

　　Arima's smartphone shipments are expected to reach only 2-2.5 million units in the first quarter of 2014 before staging a major pick-up in the second quarter and onwards, estimated the sources.

　　The handset ODM is also likely to land orders for tablets and smart peripherals in the first half of 2014, revealed the sources.