Taiwan smartphone manufacturer HTC (2498.TW) will begin selling phones in China under its own brand name, the Wall Street Journal reported. HTC has been in China’s smartphone market for some time, but sells its products under the brand name Dropod. The firm now believes that the HTC brand, which it claims is recognized by 8% of current Chinese smartphone users, is strong enough to market four of its new handsets on the mainland. The phones, which are designed for China Mobile’s (CHL.NYSE, 0941.HK) network, include models running the Windows Mobile and Android platforms. The new products will be launched in September and October of this year, and will compete against the Apple (AAPL.NASDAQ) iPhone. While HTC currently derives 80% of its global revenue from the US and European markets, sales in China have been rising rapidly, and 2010 forecasts are set at 50% above 2009 levels.
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