With 2018 coming to a close, HTC is looking ahead to 2019 and what it can do to help improve its business.
HTC Taiwan president Darren Chen says that HTC is aiming to reboot its smartphone sales in the first half of 2019, placing a focus on mid-range and high-end devices in an effort to improve market share and profitability. This includes extending the flagship HTC U12+ lineup in 2019 to prolong the series' lifecycle.
Chen also gave an update on the sales of some of HTC's recent products. The HTC U12 Life has experienced "robust" sales since its launch in November, the exec said, and its HTC Exodus 1 blockchain phone sold out of its first batch. Chen noted that sales of HTC's VR products have been improving, too, thanks to the recent releases of the Vive Pro and Vive Focus.
Finally, Chen said that the HTC Desire 12s that was unveiled this week will help boost sales during the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year holiday season.
HTC has been trying to regain some of its former glory as of late, and while the company isn't as big as it was in the early days of Android, Chen seems encouraged by sales of the HTC U12 Life and the upcoming HTC Desire 12s. Looking ahead to 2019, it sounds like we should expect more U12 Life and Desire 12s-style mid-range phones along with flagship hardware like the U12+. We haven't really heard much in the way of rumors or leaks regarding HTC's 2019 releases, but it'll be interesting to see exactly what a "reboot" of HTC's smartphone sales looks like.