Q4 / 2013: HTC profit is below expectations

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has reported worse business results in the end of 2013 than expected despite efforts to cut costs.

HTC recorded a net profit of USD 10 million, better than the loss of USD 99.9 million in Q3 / 2013, but lower than the profit of USD 34 million in the same period in 2012 and below the expected level of USD 24.3 million of the top private. The figures show the severity of the problem the company is facing, especially when it was only two years ago, every 1 in 10 smartphones sold worldwide was HTC's.

The company has lost nearly three-quarters of the market value in the past two years, currently stopping at $ 4 billion and being dominated by rivals like Apple and Samsung. In 2013, ' super product ' HTC One received constant praise from reputable technology sites, but this did not help the fate of the device better. According to research firm Gartner , HTC's market share in the global smartphone market dropped to 2.2% in Q3 / 2013, compared with the peak period of 10.3% in the same period in 2011.

Although HTC recently invited ' Ironman ' Robert Downey Jr. Participate in the ' Here's to Change ' campaign ( here to change ), analysts still have doubts about the ability to differentiate its brand image in the market almost saturated today.

To cut costs, HTC bought chips from cheaper manufacturers and outsourced product manufacturing. In addition, the company also sells shares in the Beats Electronics headset brand. But, with the wave of high-ranking leaders leaving, mixed in the ranks of officials, factories have to close down, showing signs that observers have ever evaluated on HTC's biggest problem: link connected with customers.