Taiwanese phonemaker HTC sends flagship One A9 in to challenge Apple
Taiwanese smartphone maker has high hopes for A9 as it struggles to regain market share
Smartphone maker HTC Corp of Taiwan unveiled a flagship model on Wednesday - taking on Apple's latest iPhones - but analysts say it is unlikely to boost the struggling company's market share.
The HTC One A9 has a 13-megapixel camera, and is the first non-Nexus phone to use Google's newest operating system.
The Taiwanese brand, once a star of the smartphone sector, is suffering losses as it grapples with competition from Samsung, Apple and rising Chinese brands.
The company is taking action to turn its business around, which involves job cuts and streamlining its product offerings to focus on high-end phones.
The A9 - which will go on sale next month - will lift revenue in the fourth quarter as vendors start stocking the product, but consumers will not necessarily follow, said analyst Calvin Huang of Sinopac Financial Holdings.
"It may attract those who can't afford the iPhone but there are a lot of better phones as well on the market at cheaper prices," he said.