Promising flagship products, HTC expects smartphone shipments to jump 80% to 45 million in 2012

It's amazing how quickly fortunes can change in the mobile market.

Earlier in the year, HTC was being touted as the surprise new force in smartphones, leading the charge against Apple in the US and fighting with the big boys at the top of the table.

Now, however, commentators are concerned the Taiwanese manufacturer is being squeezed out by a rejuvenated Samsung and Apple's iPhone 4S, leading some to make an unflattering comparison to a pre-Windows Phone Nokia.

Its shares have falled 30 percent within two weeks, and are down 62 percent from its April all-time peak.

For its part, HTC claims rather than contracting, its share in the smartphone market will expand in 2012, with shipments rising to 45 million units.

That's up from 25 million in FY 2011, with new handsets set to spark what some are already claiming will need to be a mini-revival.

"I don't think it's so serious," CFO Winston Yung told Reuters of HTC's current situation, following the company's decision to cut revenue projections in Q4 2011 to no growth.

"We will focus on the product next year, better and more competitive. Other than new LTE phones for the US market, we have phones for the global market. We will launch some worldwide flagship products. We're confident in them."

He said the company would also push more aggressively into China.

Critics claim HTC is suffering because its name lacks the kind of brand power rivals such as Apple, Nokia and Samsung can muster, and it hasn't innovated in terms of product design.

Nonetheless, figures published by Canalys proclaimed HTC as the top smartphone OEM in the US market in Q3 2011, with 5.7 million units shipped. That put it ahead of Samsung on 4.9 million, and Apple on 4.6 million.

[source: Reuters]