HTC Corp (宏達電) yesterday unveiled the first made-in-Taiwan 5G smartphone and is to begin taking preorders on July 1.
The company last year released two mid-range smartphones — the HTC U19e and HTC Desire 19+ — as well as a second-generation blockchain mobile phone — the HTC Exodus 1S — which failed to help prop up its flagging sales.
The new HTC U20 5G, powered by Qualcomm Inc’s Snapdragon 765G processor and equipped with five camera lenses, is priced at NT$18,990.
Photo: CNA
While not the cheapest option on the market, the company’s new offering is still aimed at entry to mid-range consumers “who would like to try out 5G technology without breaking the bank,” HTC Taiwan president Darren Chen (陳柏諭) told a news conference at the company’s headquarters in New Taipei City.
The smartphone, which was assembled at HTC’s Taoyuan plant, is the “first made-in-Taiwan 5G smartphone in the world,” he added.
The handset is outfitted with a 6.8-inch full high-definition display and comes in two colors: green and white.
Photo: Wang Yi-hung, Taipei Times
It is expected to be ready to ship by August, Chen said, adding that certain certificates for the device are still awaited.
Seeking to first test the local market, HTC has yet to announce a release a date for the device in overseas markets.
“We are waiting to see how Taiwanese consumers react before expanding to a larger user base,” HTC chief executive officer Yves Maitre said, while hinting that he is looking to negotiate with some “familiar” European mobile phone carriers.
Prior to taking up his position at HTC late last year, Maitre served at French telecom Orange SA as executive vice president of consumer equipment and partnerships.
Maitre refrained from providing a sales target for the HTC U20 5G.
HTC also released an update to its Desire smartphone series, which was launched in 2010.
Priced at NT$8,990, the new HTC Desire 20 Pro is a more affordable option than the HTC U20 5G.
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 processor, the HTC Desire 20 Pro is equipped with a 6.5-inch full high-definition screen and is also outfitted with five camera lenses.
The smartphone, which is not assembled in Taiwan, would be ready to ship tomorrow, the company said.
PATENTS: MediaTek Inc said it would not comment on ongoing legal cases, but does not expect the legal action by Huawei to affect its business operations Smartphone integrated chips designer MediaTek Inc (聯發科) on Friday said that a lawsuit filed by Chinese smartphone brand Huawei Technologies Co (華為) over alleged patent infringements would have little impact on its operations. In an announcement posted on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, MediaTek said that it would not comment on an ongoing legal case. However, the company said that Huawei’s legal action would have little impact on its operations. MediaTek’s statement came after China-based PRIP Research said on Thursday that Huawei filed a lawsuit with a Chinese district court claiming that MediaTek infringed on its patents. The infringement mentioned in the lawsuit likely involved
EXPECTATIONS: The firm, which is on track to outpace global foundry industry revenue growth, said it expects constrained advanced process capacity amid stronger AI demand Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday increased its projected revenue growth for this year to above 25 percent, as stronger-than-expected demand for premium smartphones and artificial intelligence (AI) devices are to drive greater utilization of cutting-edge 3-nanometer and 5-nanometer chips. In April TSMC estimated 21 to 24 percent annual growth. The firm’s revenue growth is on track to greatly outpace the global foundry industry, which is expected to rise about 10 percent this year. “Over the past three months, we have observed stronger AI and high-end smartphone demand from our customers, which is to boost the overall capacity utilization for our leading-edge
INVESTMENT: The company’s planned complex in Texas would be the first 12-inch silicon wafer fab built in the US in more than 20 years, a GlobalWafers official said GlobalWafers Co (環球晶圓), the world’s No. 3 silicon wafer supplier, yesterday said it secured up to US$400 million in direct funding from the US Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act for the construction of two new advanced fabs in the US. Its subsidiaries GlobalWafers America and MEMC LLC are to build a 12-inch silicon wafer fab in Sherman, Texas, and another one in Missouri to produce silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers used to make leading-edge chips. “With the support of the [US President Joe] Biden Administration, we are honored to be bringing to American shores the world’s most cutting-edge 12-inch semiconductor
Nikon Corp is fielding strong demand for its legacy chipmaking machines in China, which is mobilizing resources to build its own semiconductor supply chain. Inquiries for the Japanese precision maker’s lithography tools have surged in China, Nikon president Muneaki Tokunari said. The company is set to revamp a lithography machine geared for decades-old manufacturing processes. Its NSR-2205iL1, launching this summer, would serve the market for mature chip technology and Nikon expects to sell more than 10 units of the machine annually, said Tokunari, who is also chief operating officer and chief financial officer. New companies are sprouting up in China to make