HTC Desire EYE approved for sale in Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) HTC Corp.'s new selfie-centric smartphone has been certified by Taiwan's communications regulator, the National Communications Commission (NCC), for sale in the country, a step that the company hopes will help it sustain its local sales momentum.

The approval notice, published Tuesday on the NCC's website, means that the 5.2-inch HTC Desire EYE could be available in local stores in the coming weeks after making its global debut in New York on Oct. 9.

The Desire EYE is a waterproof smartphone with 13-megapixel front and rear cameras that is capable of capturing detailed images even in low-light conditions.

The 4G handset was unveiled along with the HTC EYE Experience -- enhanced imaging software that can combine simultaneous photos and videos taken on the front and back cameras into one split-screen image or video.

Dealers said the approval of the Desire EYE, along with an earlier approval of the HTC Desire 820 phone on Oct. 17, could help HTC sustain its sales momentum in Taiwan amid shrinking demand for the flagship HTC One M8 and the mid-tier HTC Desire 816.

HTC grabbed a 22 percent share of Taiwan's smartphone sales in August, ranking it as the top smartphone seller in the domestic market for the fourth consecutive month, according to statistics released by industry sources.

HTC's Desire 816 and One M8 were the top two selling models in Taiwan in August, followed by Asustek's ZenFone 5, the HTC Desire 610, Asustek's ZenFone 6, and Samsung's Galaxy Note 3.

(By Jeffrey Wu)ENDITEM/ls