HTC is working on entry in smartwatch arena

Taiwanese smartphone and tablet maker HTC has confirmed that it will be launching at least one wearable computer gadget by end of 2014. HTC has been struggling to compete with other smartphone vendors and has been exploring other segments including wearable gadgets, smartwatches in particular, HTC Chairman Cher Wang told Bloomberg. "Many years ago we started looking at smartwatches and wearables, but we believe that we really have to solve the battery problems and the LCD light problems," Wang said. If HTC offers a smartwatch it would go up against existing offerings like Samsung's Galaxy Gear and Sony Smartwatch 2. It could also find itself in a tech fight with Apple, which is rumored to have a smartwatch in the wings to be released some time this year. HTC has seen its fortunes in the smartphone arena decline steeply, with sales dropping 30 percent in 2013. A wearable gadget is seen as one way to turn the company around. "We feel positive and optimistic about 2014 when compared to 2013," Chang Chialin, chief financial officer and head of global sales, told Bloomberg.