HTC reports profits drop but remains strong

Taiwanese manufacturer HTC has announced a big drop in profits for the last quarter of 2011.

The net profit of the company fell to 11bn Taiwan dollars in the last three months, a drop of 25% when compared to the 14.8bn dollars reported during the final quarter of 2010.

However, the firm did state last October that they expected lower revenues due to uncertainties over the ability of their new models to compete against rivals.

But these disappointing figures have not impacted overall HTC sales figures for the last year as the company saw a healthy rise of 57% in its 2011 sales taking them to 62bn Taiwan dollars.

Previously, HTC have taken the market by storm with handsets that saw them catapulted to number four in the world of smartphone manufacturers, and although Samsung, Apple and Nokia are all still ahead, HTC has seen off Motorola and others to sit at the top table with the phone market big boys.

With the Consumer Electronics Show currently taking place and HTC looking to be the first in the quad-core race, the next quarter could see an improvement depending on what the top three decide to offer.

So overall profits will see HTC continue to battle on, but with Samsung seeing profits soar by 73% in the last quarter of 2011, HTC will have to work hard to creep up the rankings.