The semiconductor unit that once resuscitated Sony Group at a time of dwindling smartphone sales may once again be called upon for help – in a time of contraction for smartphone sales. But this time around, with tougher competition from Chinese firms and a turbulent global market, the semiconductor business is no longer the golden goose it once was. The latest gossip from Bloomberg is that Sony is considering spinning off its semiconductor unit, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, which could be valued as high as JPY 7 trillion ($49 billion). This move would streamline Sony’s infamously complex business operations and allow it to focus on improving its successful entertainment sector. Sony would hive off the semiconductor unit and sell it to…