14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation might face a series of issues with the launch of its new HTC One flagship device, the latest reports on the matter suggest.
Apparently, the UltraPixel camera that this device was unveiled to the world with is the one to blame for this, at least this is what a post on focustaiwan reads.
Shipment estimates for the device have been slashed by up to 80 percent for the first half of the year, according to research firm KGI Securities.
Apparently, the device is hit by issues not only with the camera, but also with its voice coil motor (VCM), which determined the firm to lower its sales forecast from 4 million units to between 800,000 and 1.2 million units.
The company also notes that HTC might be able to ship a total of 10.5 million smartphones in the first half of the year, although it was previously expected to ship between 14 and 15 million units.
"We believe the production restraints that UltraPixel faces will severely limit HTC One shipments," KGI analyst Kuo Ming-chi reportedly said in a note to clients.
The research firm also notes that, although HTC might have had a chance to regain some of the ground it had lost in front of rivals Samsung Electronics and Apple, the company won’t be able to make such a move due to said issues with HTC One’s components.
Made official in February, HTC One will land on shelves with a 4.7-inch full HD screen, a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM and Google’s Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system loaded on top.
One of the main selling points of the device is its UltraPixel camera, a 4MP one, capable of providing increased level of details in snapped photos. Furthermore, the company packed the device with new sound recording capabilities, so as to offer a better video / audio recording experience to users.