Analysts predict quarterly gains for Apple, Samsung, and HTC

Apple, Samsung, and HTC will each post gains in their respective earnings reports according to 46 analysts polled by Reuters. “We expect second quarter earnings to reveal a widening gulf between the winners and losers and further illustrate the ‘changing of the guard’ as Apple, HTC and Samsung continue to increase market share,” CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber told the news outlet. Analysts say Samsung’s growth, which pushed it past Nokia as the largest smartphone builder in the world, was fueled by Google’s Android operating system. The group also collectively predicts that Apple sold 16.9 million iPhones during the fiscal third quarter. That figure is down from the fiscal second quarter of this year, but it’s also twice as many devices as Apple sold during the same quarter last year. Similarly, Samsung is expected to report that it shipped 19 million smartphones during the quarter and analysts believe the Korean company is on pace to surpass its 60 million unit sales target for the year. Nokia will continue to struggle, although we hope it picks up momentum when its Windows Phone devices begin launching later this year. “There were few products in the market that can match Galaxy S II as Apple appears to be delaying new iPhone debut due to disruptions in parts supply, while Nokia continues to fail to introduce competitive lineup,” Jin Sung-hye, a Hyundai Securities analyst, said.
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