HTC Posts $197 Million ProfitHTC Posts $197 Million Profit

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HTC's Hero

HTC posted a $197 million profit for the second quarter, which was a 33% increase from the previous quarter.

The earnings for the three-month period ending June 30 were actually down 1.9% from the same quarter last year, and HTC did not give a reason for the decline. The company did see revenue rise 10% from a year ago thanks to the release of new handsets like the Touch Pro 2.

The company has been able to rocket from relative obscurity to one of the top smartphone makers in the world thanks to its lineup of Windows Mobile devices. The company is known for making smartphones like the Touch 2 that have high-end features like Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS, Bluetooth, and high-megapixel cameras.

Additionally, Windows Mobile is known for being a capable operating system that has a somewhat clunky interface. HTC has created its own user interfaces to layer above the OS, and its TouchFLO 3-D UI is one of the main reasons the company's handsets are so popular.

The company will be taking a similar strategy with its Android devices, as it has layered a unique UI called Sense on top of the upcoming Hero smartphone. The device will be able to use all the capabilities of the OS like accessing the Android Market, but the UI will add gesture control, widget support, and quick-launch icons for things like e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and other Web-based applications.

While HTC is planning to release multiple Android devices in the future, the company has said it will not be abandoning Microsoft's mobile OS.

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