With its revenues at a dismal low since 2004, HTC is thinking up of strategies to change its fortunes. This Taiwanese company has seen its share of good days.
Its profits have dropped by 91% y-o-y in the last quarter of 2012. Its revenue was NT$60 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to NT$101.4 of the previous year’s quarter.
HTC had seen heady days with the launch of Google’s Nexus smartphones, which it helped develop, in 2010. HTC was the leader in the Android market before Samsung.
Its high end handsets failed to make a mark as evident from its results in the last year. HTC is turning attention towards the emerging markets with affordable phones. It is facing competition from Apple’s I Phone and Samsung’s galaxy phones. Even the Chinese Huawei and ZTE are offering better functions on their cheap phones.
HTC has been known for its high end handsets and does not plan to give them up. It will bring in cheaper phones while continuing with its fancy smart phones.
HTC has seen prices falling with its up end phones in the emerging markets. HTC butterfly was popular in Taiwan and Japan while DROID DNA saw sales in the United States in 2012.
HTC is gearing up to take on the market with a fight and will continue its mission to innovate newer devices. It will have to face challenge from low-cost vendors. On this front, it may on offer phones as cheap as $160 in China. It aims at a revenue of NT$ 50-60 billion in the coming year.
The HTC M7, a smartphone, is waiting to be launched on February 19. With its 1080p display and sense 5.0 UI and new camera, this smartphone will enter the arena hoping to make a mark.