HTC Corp (宏達電) places high hopes on its One series smartphones to compete with rivals on every front in the global market, HTC North Asia-Pacific Region president Jack Tong (董俊良) said yesterday.
“In Europe, the sales of our high-end smartphones slipped a little in the third and fourth quarters last year, but because of our launch of the One X and One S in Europe at the end of the first quarter this year, our high-end smartphone sales have picked up to a ‘normal level’ in Europe,” Tung said at the launch ceremony of the One S smartphone in Taipei.
“In China, HTC has seen very strong growth momentum from a strong demand for the One series, and therefore we are optimistic about our outlook in this market,” he said.
The HTC One series includes the entry level One V, the mid-level One S and the high-end One X. All the devices run Android Ice Cream Sandwich with a Sense 4.0 user interface.
Like its other family members, One S features the unique functions of shooting video and photos at the same time, continuous shooting and high-fidelity sound effects.
When it was launched in April, the One X took a 9.3 percent share of the local smartphone market in the same month, Tung said, adding that he expected to see the One S further driving HTC’s growth in Taiwan and the world.
Overall, North Asia is a fast-growing market for HTC and the China market is the brightest in the region, Tung said.
“The enthusiastic reaction to our products in China is a very important development for HTC, because China is a very important market for us,” he said.
Tung expected overall sales of HTC products in North Asia in the second quarter to meet HTC’s expectations.
On the US front, the One S has successfully gained entry into the market following the release of all HTC devices previously under inspection at US Customs, Tung said, adding that he did not think the customs inspection issue would have much of an impact on HTC’s sales in the US.
Tung said he was optimistic about HTC’s global sales performance for the rest of the year.
With its One series, HTC has embarked on a unifying global marketing strategy to promote products through word of mouth.
The company has also adopted the policy of promoting a series of smartphones instead of individual models, because good series can create an impressive image in consumers’ minds, bringing out a synergy effect and extend products’ lifecycles, Tung said.
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