Analysts are expecting Motorola to report a first-quarter adjusted profit of 29 cents on sales of $9.5 billion, according to Reuters Research. Looking ahead, some analysts say the second half of the year could be the real challenge for Motorola as rivals Nokia ( NOK ), Samsung and Sony Ericsson -- a joint venture of Sony undefined and Ericsson undefined -- push new designs. Sony Ericsson, for example, reported a strong profit in the first quarter as sales of its Walkman music phone started to pick up. At No. 5, Sony Ericsson is a rising player in the highly competitive cell-phone market, say industry watchers. "Razr and Slvr are gorgeous devices, but Sony Ericsson's W600 is a good design and a much better music device," says Ovum analyst Roger Entner. Motorola's reign as industry design leader has helped it reap fortunes on its home turf, but as with any empire, expansion could meet resistance, say observers.