An internal memo from HTC that leaked out to the public has been confirmed as authentic. The memo talked about unexpectedly strong pre-order numbers for the company’s new flagship Android device, the HTC One. Normally this would be excellent news, but it might actually pose a problem for the manufacturer that had to delay the release of this phone because of component shortages.
Jason MacKenzie of HTC wrote in the memo to employees, “we are seeing our strongest initial response for any smartphone we’ve ever designed with several hundred thousand people in the U.S. pre-registering to purchase the new HTC One.”
This is unquestionably good for the company as a whole. In recent years, profits have slipped dramatically in the face of overwhelming competition from Samsung. Sales fell 50 percent this February from February in 2012. If sales remain strong for the HTC One, a comeback for the smartphone vendor might be possible.
That’ll only work out if HTC is able to keep up with strong demand. The HTC One has already been delayed due to the aforementioned component shortages, so the company could face the classic problem of too much demand and not enough supply. It’s scheduled for release by the end of April. If it gets pushed back further, all visible signs would point to trouble.
Also worth noting: Samsung’s Galaxy S4 debuts at the same time so competition will be even more intense as the two fight to win the minds and hearts of consumers simultaneously.
[via BGR]