HTC's meteoric rise continues as its (unaudited) Q3 earnings statement indicates an increase in the company's net profit of 68 percent over last year and total revenue growth of 79 percent to about $4.4 billion. Which is not bad considering concerns over growing competition in the smartphone market and litigation with Apple instigated a 34 percent loss in HTC's share value since July 1st. The company's mindshare has also grown, as Interbrand reports that HTC leapfrogged Acer to become the most valuable tech brand in Taiwan — the smartphone giant increased its brand value (a measure of a company's popularity, not legal tender) from NT$1.37 billion in 2010 to NT$3.6 billion this year. Despite the financial rollercoaster, HTC hopes to ship 13.5 million smartphones (including the Sensation XL, pictured) during the second half of 2011.