Mobile phone maker Motorola last night warned that its first quarter sales were likely to be lower than previously forecast.
The company earlier this month announced the closure of its Cork plant with the loss of more than 300 jobs.
It blamed poor handset sales and pressure on prices for the warning, adding that earnings for the whole of 2007 would be 'substantially lower' than previously forecast.
Motorola said it now expected to make a loss of between seven cents and nine cents per share in the first three months of this year. It cut its revenue target to between $9.2 billion and $9.3 billion, down from the earlier target of between $10.4 billion and $10.6 billion.
'Performance in our mobile devices business continues to be unacceptable and we are committed to restoring its profitability,' said Motorola chief executive Ed Zander.
