HTC profits leap 160 per cent

HTC handsets

HTC has announced a massive leap in profits for the end of 2010.

The smartphone manufacturer from Taiwan revealed its net profits had shot up by 160 per cent in the fourth quarter, equating to 14.59 billion Taiwan dollars (315 million) for the three month period.

The company also claimed it had more than doubled the number of handsets it sold in 2009, with the 2010 figure at 24.6 million.

It predicted continued growth and expected to sell 8.5 million handsets in the quarter running from January through to March.

HTC handsets come with a variety of operating systems installed, but its close ties with Google's Android OS and Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 OS has helped send its sales figures through the roof.

Rumours are rife that the company is also working on a tablet device to take on its rivals such as Apple and Samsung.

However, Peter Chou, chief executive of HTC, told the BBC the company didn't want to rush into releasing a tablet.

"We hope the product we eventually unveil will be one that meets consumers' needs," he said.

Jennifer Scott

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.