Smartphone maker HTC Corp (宏達電) is scheduled to launch new middle-end smartphones on Wednesday in its latest efforts to boost market share by broadening its mid-tier product lineup.
The Taoyuan-based company on Thursday issued a media invitation, saying that HTC Greater China region president Jack Tong (董俊良) would be hosting a product launch event in Taipei on Wednesday. HTC is set to launch its new Desire smartphone series, the invitation read.
According to documents released by the National Communications Commission (NCC), HTC’s new smartphone products which have been approved by the government to go on sale include the Desire 700 dual sim, the HTC Desire 601 dual sim, the Desire 501 and the Desire 300.
On Aug. 3, HTC chairwoman Cher Wang (王雪紅) told reporters on the sidelines of a corporate event that HTC underestimated the importance of mid-end smartphones as the company shifted its focus to developing high-end smartphones.
“HTC is constantly learning while addressing each challenge,” the Chinese-language Apple Daily quoted Wang as saying in a report.
“I hope things can improve from the fourth quarter,” Wang said, adding that HTC had been adjusting its product mix and planning to launch more mid-end smartphone models during this quarter and next year.
HTC posted a net loss of NT$2.97 billion (US$100 million) for last quarter, its first quarterly loss since the fourth quarter of 1999, as it lacked mid-end and entry-level products amid lukewarm demand for its new flagship model.
In a report released on Nov. 6, Fubon Securities Co (富邦證券) analyst Ange Wu (吳淵傑) said HTC would benefit from its partnership with China’s top three telecoms operators.
“We believe that the combined channels of the three carriers [China Unicom Ltd (中國聯通), China Mobile Ltd (中國移動) and China Telecom Corp Ltd (中國電信)] will stimulate sales volume,” Wu said.
SAMSUNG THREATENED?
“On the other hand, HTC’s strength in high and mid-end smartphones is likely to threaten Samsung and boost its share in the China market,” he added.
At a product launch event on Oct. 19, Tong told reporters that HTC had targeted the 10 most populated cities in China to sell its latest 5.9-inch One Max smartphone.
He said the move was part of the company’s efforts to expand its market share to 20 percent in China, adding that HTC will also be working closely with China’s largest telecom carrier China Mobile — which has a nearly 70 percent share of the Chinese market — to sell its One series flagship smartphones and Desire series mid-tier smartphones.
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