Dark clouds hover over HTC as first net quarterly loss beckons

24 Sep 2013

The HTC One Mini

Smartphone maker HTC is expected to report its first net loss on the back of disappointing sales and problems with the HTC One Mini.

According to Reuters, supply problems with the HTC One Mini mean the Taiwanese phone maker has been unable to meet demand from consumers and telcos.

The supply constraints centre on a shortage of casings for the device.

Analysts predict that HTC expects to ship only around 200,000 of the devices each month.

In May, similar supply problems affecting the larger HTC One smartphone led to the company producing profits of just US$2.8m.

The saga is a salutary lesson that no matter how great a phone is manufactured and the maelstrom of plaudits it attracts, failure to keep up with demand will cost you dearly.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com