The second quarter of 2012 means both good and bad news to two popular smartphone makers. Samsung is expected to rake in around 6.5 trillion won or USD 60 billion in profits and 46 trillion won or USD 40 billion in revenue. On the opposite side, HTC foresees profit of merely NT$7.4 billion or USD 247 and revenue of NT$91 or USD 30.4 million.
Samsung and HTC exemplify two sides of the battle in the Android smartphone industries. Samsung, on one hand, is enjoying success despite various challenges. Its legal battles with Apple have been well-publicized. Most recently, its Galaxy Nexus phone has been pulled out by Google from the Play store due to patent problems with Apple. Moreover, its Samsung Galaxy S III is only starting to roll out in the United States. In Europe, meanwhile, Samsung’s sales are weakening because the region is suffering from economic problems. However, the profits and revenue forecasts show that these issues are not enough to stop Samsung.
Meanwhile, HTC is having a difficult time facing its own concerns like a ban in the U.S. for the One X and the EVO 4G LTE smartphones. Earlier this year, the Taiwanese company announced that it is focusing its efforts on its high-end devices. However, at present, it has not been able to surpass the popularity of Samsung’s devices like the Galaxy S III, especially with the fate of its two phones.
Facing intense competition from the many other smartphone makers today, Samsung and HTC both need to keep developing technologies and crafting smart strategies to ensure their success.