Smart-phone firm to double its sales

China Wireless says first-half net profit rises 93pc as new models lift turnover

China Wireless Technologies says it is on course to double sales of its smart phones this year to 90,000 units from 45,000 last year.

The Shenzhen-based wireless data solutions provider yesterday said sales had risen 150 per cent in the first half to $160 million from a year earlier. Smart phones accounted for the bulk of the company's first-half turnover, which rose 69 per cent to $172.4 million.

Chairman Guo Deying said he was confident about the full-year sales target as the company had sold 45,000 phones in the first half that accounted for a 93.6 per cent rise in net profit to $32.63 million.

'In October, we will be launching two new smart phones based on the Microsoft Windows CE platform,' said Mr Guo.

The company had said previously it aimed to launch six new models this year, bringing its total portfolio of proprietary smart phones to nine.

A key supplier of smart phones to China Unicom, China Wireless Technologies said it had supplied 30,000 dual-mode (GSM and CDMA) smart phones to the No2 mainland mobile operator.

These sales represented 60 per cent to 70 per cent of its first-half turnover.

The company differs from other mainland smart-phone manufacturers by tailor-making the equipment to support specific data needs of various industries.

China Wireless Technologies is supplying smart phones to more than 20 industries, some of them government departments such as Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce.

Mr Guo said the company had budgeted up to $40 million for developing 3G wireless data solutions and a multimedia data platform. But he added that there was no time frame because Beijing had yet to produce a timetable for issuing 3G licences.

Apart from smart phones, the company provides personal handyphone systems to telecommunications operators.