HTC predicts 400 to 500K G1s sold in 2008

Taiwan based smart phone maker HTC said it estimates T-Mobile will sell between 400,000 and 500,000 G1 handsets, with its Android platform developed by Google, before the end of 2008. According to a Wednesday report, the smartphone‘s exclusive US carrier, T-Mobile, will order between 1.5 and 2 million units in total, sales of which are estimated to add NT$7 billion (the equivalent of about $218 million) to HTC's fourth quarter revenue or NT$18 billion (about $566 million) to the company's bottom line in 2009.

The smartphone will compete with Apple’s iPhone, Samsung’s Omnia and HTC’s own Diamond, though promises to bring an easier interface and access to network application services from Google, made up of Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube and GoogleTalk as a unique online shopping capability via the Android Market.

The numbers predicted by HTC are not unreal, as Apple is reportedly building 800,000 3G iPhones per week.

T-Mobile will launch the G1 on October 22, with pricing set at $179 when a two-year contract is signed. per unit coupled with a two-year contract in the U.S. The telecom company will further launch the phone in European countries starting the end of this year.

Filed under: industry, gadgets, mobile phones
Other story tags: Google, T-Mobile, Android