HTC sees its first quarterly sales rise in three years
HTC could finally be on the road to recovery after it notched its first quarterly year-on-year revenue growth since 2011. The Taiwanese smartphone maker grew sales to NT $47.9 billion ($1.5 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2014 -- a substantial increase on the NT $42.9 billion ($1.34 billion) it reported the same time last year. Of course, these numbers are a far cry from what HTC was generating a couple of years ago: in the fourth quarter of 2011, the company was pulling in revenues of NT $101.4 billion ($3.2 billion).
It's no secret that HTC has been finding it difficult to compete in a crowded Android market. While its high-end handsets still receive critical acclaim, the company has struggled to combat Apple's iPhones, Samsung's huge smartphone line-up and marketing budget, and low-cost handsets from newcomers such as Xiaomi. HTC's revenues have, until now, been slowly tumbling and at least 22 execs have jumped ship since the start of 2012. The outlook has been pretty grim, but today's numbers, combined with an operating profit of NT $180 million (USD $5.6 million) for the quarter, suggest the company might be pulling back with its latest mid-range offerings and the unusual, periscope-styled Re Camera.
