HTC's new high-end models are selling well, but a component shortage could dampen momentum

According to those anonymous insiders known collectively as "industry sources," HTC has been bouncing back with a couple of strong devices, but this momentum could slow or even come to a halt due to a shortage of components. First, the good news. The HTC Windows Phone 8X has been selling well in the U.S. and the HTC Butterfly has been flapping its wings off store shelves in Japan, Taipei and China. While sales for its U.S. counterpart, the HTC DROID DNA, are unknown, Verizon has recently started an advertising campaign for the phone, featuring a television commercial now in rotation on prime-time television and during televised sporting events.

The industry sources say that the components in tight supply include voice coil motors and ITO films and one says that since last month, HTC has been ordering PCBs and flexible PCBs which are hard to find at the moment in Japan and Taiwan. Producers of these components have been running their production lines to capacity which means that additional orders, like the ones from HTC, are becoming nearly impossible to fill. Insiders in the PCB/FPCB business are putting the blame for the shortage of the HTC Butterfly on other components, which weren't named.

HTC is on the comeback trail and seems to have hit paydirt with the two models. CEO Peter Chou has been optimistic, saying that "the worst for HTC has probably passed. 2013 will not be too bad." We think Chou could be wrong. If HTC can straighten out the component situation, 2013 might turn out great for HTC. A new high-end model with the code name HTC M7 could be shown off next week at CES 2013.

source: Digitimes via UnwiredView