Sharp expects to sell 4 mln cell phones abroad in FY09 - Nikkei

May 28 (Reuters) - Sharp Corp (6753.T) said it aims to sell four million cell phones outside Japan this fiscal year, an increase of 150 percent, Nikkei business daily reported.

The firm's bullishness stems from its lead on rivals such as Panasonic Corp (6752.T) and NEC Corp (6701.T) in expanding overseas operations, the newspaper said.

Sharp entered the Chinese market last year and has introduced six models there, mainly on the high end, Nikkei said.

By increasing its lineup of low-priced models, the company aims to sell about two million units in China this year, the daily said.

Sharp plans to launch smart phones in Europe this year and intends to aggressively outsource production to foreign firms to meet its ambitious sales targets, the newspaper said.

Sharp also said it aims to increase its share of the domestic market by 7 percentage points to 30 percent by boosting sales to 10 million units from 8.3 million, Nikkei said.

Sharp's models for this summer will include one that can be charged with sunlight or household power, with a one-hour charge in the sun allowing for six minutes of conversation, the newspaper said.

Sharp plans to release the solar-powered model in overseas markets within the year, Nikkei said. (Reporting by Ashutosh Joshi in Bangalore; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)