HTC Loses $62 Million To Start The Year, Pins Hopes On HTC One M8
Following a string of wins in the early days of Android, HTC these days is struggling to compete with Samsung and Apple, the two giants in the smartphone space. Quarterly losses are becoming all too familiar for HTC, which just posted another one to kick off 2014. HTC said it collected NT$33.12 billion (around $1.06 billion in U.S. currency) in revenues during the first quarter of 2014, resulting in a net loss of NT$1.88 billion (just over $62 million USD).
That's not the kind of start to the year HTC was looking for, though if there's a silver lining, it's that these numbers represent sales prior to the launch of the refreshed One M8 handset. HTC has a new flagship device, and like its predecessor, the One M8 sports some impressive specs. Will it be enough to turn things around?
Probably not. HTC's problem isn't necessarily its hardware -- it's HTC's ability to sell consumers on its flagship phone. Samsung and Apple are both much more aggressive when it comes to marketing, a fact that's reflected in the dollars spent on advertising.
According to CNET, Samsung splashed $363 million into marketing its devices in the U.S. last year, while Apple was close behind by spending $350.9 million. In stark contrast to both, HTC spent just $75.8 million. As the old adage goes, you have to spend money to make money, and out of the three companies, HTC is spending comparatively little.
That's not the kind of start to the year HTC was looking for, though if there's a silver lining, it's that these numbers represent sales prior to the launch of the refreshed One M8 handset. HTC has a new flagship device, and like its predecessor, the One M8 sports some impressive specs. Will it be enough to turn things around?
Probably not. HTC's problem isn't necessarily its hardware -- it's HTC's ability to sell consumers on its flagship phone. Samsung and Apple are both much more aggressive when it comes to marketing, a fact that's reflected in the dollars spent on advertising.
According to CNET, Samsung splashed $363 million into marketing its devices in the U.S. last year, while Apple was close behind by spending $350.9 million. In stark contrast to both, HTC spent just $75.8 million. As the old adage goes, you have to spend money to make money, and out of the three companies, HTC is spending comparatively little.
