After three years of decline, HTCreports quarterly sales increase

The “old guard” of Android OEMs have been suffering from an almost bell-curve like sales trend when considering how much things have changed since the early days. Companies like HTCwere on the up-and-up with devices like the Nexus One and Desire HD, saw their comfort zone come crashing down as Samsung rose to the top, and yet now the Korean giant itself is on the slippery slope on dwindling smartphone profits and market share while Chinese manufacturers like HUAWEI and Xiaomi soar to the stratosphere.

HTC’s road to recovery is still (temporarily) on track, with the Taiwanese company reporting its third straight quarter of profit thanks to a more diverse product line and a greater focus on mid-tier offerings for emerging markets.

In the fourth quarter, HTCrecorded a relatively tiny profit of $14.67 million, which was still above analysts’ expectations, according to the WSJ. Small as it is, HTC’s Q4 2014 profit was almost 50% higher than the profit from Q4 2013.

The bigger and better news is that, revenues (actual sales), have grown compared to the previous quarter: HTC recorded NT$47.87 billion ($1.49 billion) in Q4 2014, compared to NT$41.86 ($1.37 billion) in Q3 2014. This is the first time in three years that HTCmanages to increase sales quarter-over-quarter. It appears that the company’s strategy to focus on fewer products and push the mid-range is finally paying off.

Last year saw a number of interesting products from HTC, including the HTC Desire Eye, and the company has already gone on record to proclaim 2015 to be its most impressive ever, and there are rumors circulating about a possible non-Nexus “Nexus 9”. Still, HTCcan’t call itself saved just yet – with increased competition from Chinese players like Xiaomi, HTCwill have to fight for every percentage point in 2015.