HTC Expects 20% Increase in 2Q 2007 Shipments

[Nurhisham Hussein]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20070312PD204.html' target='_blank'>http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20070312PD204.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"High Tech Computer (HTC) is expected to ship 2-2.4 million handsets in the second quarter of 2007, up from the 1.6-2 million units it shipped in the first quarter, according to estimates by sources at Taiwan-based handset component makers."</i><br /><br />HTC looks like it's going to achieve this year what Steve Jobs wanted for the iPhone - 10 million unit sales (ok, the business models are different but the bottom-line is the same). This may alleviate my concerns over the falloff in revenue growth the last couple of months, although it may be a bit much to expect the S420 to give that big of a fillip to 2Q sales, as the P4550 (HTC Kaiser) and P3450 (HTC Elf) won't be launched until June. In addition to the sales projection, we have some confirmation on the tentative release dates for the Sirius (August), Nike (September) and Wings (July) that were first outed by PDAdb.net.

[whydidnt]

I think they are kidding themselves if they truly think they can get a 20% increase simply by repackaging the same devices they've been selling the past 2 years, as their roadmap indicates. For example what would be considered an upgrade for those that have already bought a TyTN? There isn't anything on the map that provides any meaningful improvement to that device.

HTC has grown fat and happy and seems to be resting on their laurels. They need to start finding ways to differentiate all of these devices by offering something different, be it more memory, a VGA screen a better user input method or "something" else that will compel a user to upgrade.

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: