HTC Aims For 1/10th of Chinese Smartphone Market by End of 2012

From DailyTech: Taiwanese phonemaker HTC Corp. (TPE:2498) fumbled through Q2, returning to profitability, but falling short of analysts' recovery hopes. The report led to numerous branch office closings, including regional offices in Brazil and South Korea, along with a research facility in North Carolina.

But the phonemaker did see some hope, reporting stronger than expected growth in China. The carrier has risen from 2.6 percent of the Chinese market, to around 6 percent.

That's a big deal because, after all, the Chinese market is the world's largest smartphone market, although it is still dwarfed by the American smartphone market in pure consumer dollars. In China, HTC is looking to compete with domestic player Huawei Technologies Comp. (SHE:002502), who owns 12.2 percent of the market, and familiar-foe Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (KSC:005930), which owns 24.9 percent of the market, according to Analysys Int'l.

Ray Yam, head of HTC's China operations, has big goals for China. At a time when other regional headquarters are closing, HTC is planning a "secret" new headquarters for China and is considering bumping its headcount, which current consists of 500-600 local engineers.

Samsung has 6,000 branded counters -- sales locations -- in China. HTC is a ways behind, but it is fast catching up, with 2,700 current branded counters, and a planned expansion to 3,500 by the end of the year.

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