HTC is heading for cheap smartphones

This year, HTC will increase the number of mid-range smartphones and will sell them cheaper than existing models. Chiang Chia-lin, HTC’s chief financial officer, said the Taiwanese company will focus on a price range of $ 150 to $ 300, with new devices being offered in both emerging and developed markets.

HTC hopes that such a move will allow it to regain lost ground in the global smartphone market. Over the past two years, the share of the company decreased to 2 percent, and the value of shares decreased by 80 percent, which in the second quarter of 2013 led to a decrease in profits by 83 percent compared to the previous year.

In an interview with the Reuters business publication, co-founder and chairman of the HTC, Sher Wan, said that the problem of the Taiwanese smartphone maker was in excessive attention to its flagship in 2013. As for low-priced smartphones, in the Chinese retail only two models were available that cost less than $ 150 - this price, according to analysts from research firm IDC, provides the potential for high sales growth in countries such as China. More than 20 smartphones available today in retail stores are offered at a price above $ 500, writes The Verge. Ms. Wang said that due to the concentration in 2013 on expensive models, despite their good customer reception, HTC missed a huge part of the mid-level device market.

It is worth noting that last year the Taiwanese smartphone maker had already announced its plans to focus on emerging markets and to launch an affordable smartphone, priced between 1,000 and 2,000 yuan ($ 165-330) for China. But at the same time, according to Chan, HTC is not interested in the smartphone market in the ultra-low price category, which is currently dominated by such Chinese technology companies as Xiaomi and Huawei.

Despite all of the above, in the near future HTC plans to announce its new flagship smartphone, which will replace the HTC One. In addition, the company plans to release a wearable gadget this year.

The article is based on materials https://hi-news.ru/phone/htc-beret-kurs-na-deshevye-smartfony.html.