HTC Expects to Sell Up To 2 Million Google Phones by End 2009

Taiwan's HTC is expected to sell some between 1.5 and 2 million Android based "Google Phones" to T-Mobile USA, with up to 500,000 being sold before the end of this year. Sources say that the new handset should boost HTC revenues by NT$18 billion (US$560 million) next year.

HTC's sales forecasts are significantly lower than Apple's iPhone, but it should be noted that Motorola are also working on Andoid based handsets, as are several other companies. Total Android sales are therefore expected to be significantly higher. Taiwan based mobile operator, Chunghwa Telecom is also in talks to start selling the G1 phone before the end of this year.

The Taiwan Economic News reported, citing Peter Chou, CEO of HTC, that their G1 smartphone and Android platform will give strong pushes to development and applications of the network for handsets in the future.

Recent research from Strategy Analytics reported that the Android operating system will account for 4 percent of all smartphones sold in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2008.

Neil Mawston, Director, Wireless Device Strategies at Strategy Analytics, said, "We forecast 10.5 million smartphones to be sold in the United States during Q4 2008. We estimate smartphones with GoogleĆ's Android operating system, led by HTC of Taiwan, will reach 0.4 million units in the quarter, for a 4 percent marketshare. Android is a relatively late entrant and it will join an increasingly crowded market alongside Blackberry, Microsoft, Apple, Palm, Symbian and LiMo."

On the web: Taiwan Economic News

Posted to the site on 2nd October 2008