HTC J smartphone launched in Taiwan
CNA 2012-09-13 15:35 (GMT+8)
The HTC J, seen as a modified version of the HTC One S. (Photo/Yen Chien-lung)
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC launched its HTC J in Taiwan on Tuesday in a bid to extend the success of the high-end device in the Japan market.
The HTC J, equipped with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and an 8-megapixel camera, will hit stores of Taiwan Mobile Co, the country's second-largest mobile provider, on Sept. 13 with a price tag of NT$16,900 (US$570), HTC said.
The 4.3-inch Android phone, seen as a modified version of the HTC One S flagship model, went on sale in Japan in May this year through a partnership with KDDI Corp, Japan's no. 2 mobile carrier.
Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said the HTC J ranked as KDDI's best-selling smartphone in June and has remained among the top three bestsellers so far, capturing a double-digit share of KDDI's smartphone sales. "HTC held only a 5% share when we entered the Japanese market. I was surprised by the robust sales of the HTC J," Tong said at the launch of the phone in Taiwan.
The success of the HTC J can be attributed to a new body design and several localized features that were added in collaboration with KDDI, Tong said. These functions include digital television services, an electronic wallet, infrared access for wireless transmission of data, and WiMAX wireless broadband support, according to HTC.
Although these functions have been removed in the version to be sold in Taiwan, Tong said he still expects the HTC J to gain popularity among Taiwanese consumers thanks to Taiwan Mobile's wide offering of applications and HTC's marketing efforts.
"Through the partnership with Taiwan Mobile and good communication with local consumers, I believe our performance in Taiwan will be better than in Japan," he said.
On the regional operation outlook, Tong said the better-than-expected sales in Japan will give key momentum to HTC's third-quarter revenue and make North Asia one of HTC's fastest-growing markets in this period.
