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HTC will release wearable by Christmas, feels 'optimistic' about 2014

HTC will release wearable by Christmas, feels 'optimistic' about 2014

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HTC One (verge stock)
HTC One (verge stock)

HTC has again signalled its intention to enter the wearables market. Chairwoman Cher Wang told Bloomberg News that the Taiwanese company plans to release a wearable device by the holiday shopping season, following comments by CEO Peter Chou that the category is "critical" for HTC. "Many years ago we started looking at smartwatches and wearables, but we believe that we really have to solve the battery problems and the LCD light problems," said Wang. "These are customer-centric problems."

"We feel positive and optimistic about 2014 when compared to 2013."

Despite HTC's troubles in recent years, with well-received phones such as the One failing to take off with consumers, CFO Chang Chialin says the company is "positive and optimistic about 2014 when compared to 2013." HTC plans to revamp its marketing this year, an area that Wang admits has not been a strong point despite a high-profile campaign featuring Robert Downey Jr. "To tell the truth, we never think marketing is that important — this is really not very good," says the chairwoman, pledging to be "smart" about how HTC spends its advertising budget.

Bloomberg also reports that an "updated" version of the One is on the way; pictures of a device with a twin-lens camera and similar industrial design to the One have recently leaked online, matching earlier rumors.