HTC One Delayed Because Suppliers Think HTC “is No Longer a Tier-One Customer”?

HTC’s financial numbers have been less than spectacular for the last few quarters despite putting out pretty decent smartphones. The company is trying to turn things around with the HTC One, but it seems that the company might have lost their trust with parts manufacturers. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the delayed One launch is due to the fact that in part suppliers’ eyes, HTC “is no longer a tier-one customer.” 

The report cites an unnamed executive that shared inside knowledge of the situation. This executive said HTC has had a “problem managing its component suppliers as it has changed its order forecasts drastically and frequently following last year’s unexpected slump in shipments.”  The parts referred to are reportedly shortages of metal casings and components of the new UltraPixel camera.

The report also suggests that companies such as Vodafone and Best Buy have been told that shipments are delayed. HTC’s CMO has already stated that some pre-orders will be fulfilled by the end of March, but that the full rollout of devices to retailers won’t happen until April.

Now it seems that the success of the One is even more important, if HTC has lost this respect from their component makers, they will certainly have to show them that they can make a tier-one device. Time is ticking away for HTC. Do you think the One will make a big enough splash to put HTC back in the game?

Via:  Wall Street Journal | The Verge