Backed by strong demand for its new smartphones, including Windows 7 models, the world’s No. 5 smartphone maker, HTC Corp (宏達電), yesterday posted a record-high monthly revenue of NT$38.5 billion (US$1.3 billion).
The figure for last month is up 168.4 percent year-on-year and up 18.7 percent from the preceding month, according to company statistics.
Last month’s revenue smashed the record set in October, which saw sales of NT$32.4 billion.
ON TRACK
“HTC is on track to meet its fourth-quarter guidance, driven by solid demand for its Desire HD, Desire Z and Windows Phone 7 models,” said Jeff Pu (蒲得宇), an analyst at Yuanta Securities (元大證券).
HTC forecast in late October that its fourth-quarter revenue would set a record and approach NT$100 billion, which, if achieved, would represent a year-on-year growth of 143 percent.
It also forecast its smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter to expand 157 percent from last year, to 9 million units.
HTC, the world’s largest maker of smartphones running on both Windows and Android platforms, is experiencing a solid year, with shipments and revenue reaching record highs that have driven the company to rank as the world’s No. 5 smartphone maker.
According to Pu, Yuanta’s research indicates flat quarter-on-quarter orders from HTC to its component makers in the first quarter next year. That would translate into a solid first quarter as the firm’s fourth quarter is set to reach a new high in revenue.
“We attribute the strength [in the first quarter] to its solid product cycle and potential new model launches, such as Mecha, Knight and Window Phone 7 models in the US,” he said.
Shipments are expected to decline 7 percent sequentially, to 8.6 million, in the first quarter, he said.
Meanwhile, HTC’s total revenue from January to November rose 88.4 percent to NT$245.7 billion, the firm said.
TABLET PC
However, HTC’s progress in the tablet PC market remains slow.
“We believe HTC is waiting for Honeycomb for a better user experience,” Pu said.
Honeycomb is the codename for the new Android operating system that is expected to be released in the first quarter next year.
HTC is set to hold its “Partner Strategy Summit” on Thursday in Taipei, according to the Chinese-language Commercial Times.
Chances are high that HTC could announce to its component suppliers and retail partners that the firm aims to double next year’s handset shipments to 50 million units, the paper said.
In addition, HTC could announce that its shipment goal for tablet PCs is 5 million units, the paper added.
PROTECTIONISM: China hopes to help domestic chipmakers gain more market share while preparing local tech companies for the possibility of more US sanctions Beijing is stepping up pressure on Chinese companies to buy locally produced artificial intelligence (AI) chips instead of Nvidia Corp products, part of the nation’s effort to expand its semiconductor industry and counter US sanctions. Chinese regulators have been discouraging companies from purchasing Nvidia’s H20 chips, which are used to develop and run AI models, sources familiar with the matter said. The policy has taken the form of guidance rather than an outright ban, as Beijing wants to avoid handicapping its own AI start-ups and escalating tensions with the US, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the
FALLING BEHIND: Samsung shares have declined more than 20 percent this year, as the world’s largest chipmaker struggles in key markets and plays catch-up to rival SK Hynix Samsung Electronics Co is laying off workers in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand as part of a plan to reduce its global headcount by thousands of jobs, sources familiar with the situation said. The layoffs could affect about 10 percent of its workforces in those markets, although the numbers for each subsidiary might vary, said one of the sources, who asked not to be named because the matter is private. Job cuts are planned for other overseas subsidiaries and could reach 10 percent in certain markets, the source said. The South Korean company has about 147,000 in staff overseas, more than half
Taipei is today suspending its US$2.5 trillion stock market as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain. The nation is not conducting securities, currency or fixed-income trading, statements from its stock and currency exchanges said. Yesterday, schools and offices were closed in several cities and counties in southern and eastern Taiwan, including in the key industrial port city of Kaohsiung. Taiwan, which started canceling flights, ship sailings and some train services earlier this week, has wind and rain advisories in place for much of the island. It regularly experiences typhoons, and in July shut offices and schools as
CHEMICAL FIRE: 10 Indian employees were injured by smoke inhalation at a Tata Electronics plant in Tamil Nadu state that produces components for Apple Inc At least 10 people received medical treatment, with two hospitalized after a major fire on Saturday disrupted production at a key Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd plant in southern India that makes Apple Inc’s iPhone components. The fire occurred at the plant in the city of Hosur in Tamil Nadu state that makes some iPhone components. It broke out near another building inside the Tata complex, which was to begin producing complete iPhones in the coming months. The fire was contained to one building and has been extinguished fully, top district administrative official K.M. Sarayu said. No decision has been made on when
RSS