Taipei, Taiwan – Taiwanese PC maker Asustek Computer wants to increase its global smartphone unit sales by 50 percent in 2015, in part be expanding its Android-phone presence in the U.S., Europe and China, CEO Jerry Shen said in an investors conference call.
The company has dabbled in the U.S. smartphone market in the past, having teamed with Garmin about five years ago on short-lived combination smartphone/portable navigation devices (PNDs). In 2014, Asustek brought its PadFone X to the U.S. exclusively through AT&T. The 5-inch Full-HD smartphone docks with a 9-inch Full-HD tablet, enabling users to switch screen sizes as needed for different tasks.
The company also offers tablets in the U.S. and launched a smart watch in the U.S. at the end of 2014.
Shen said the company plans an April event in the U.S. to announce a new product.
The company shipped 8.5 million smartphones globally in 2014 and wants to double that number in 2015, in part by also stepping up sales in such markets as India, Russia, Brazil, and Southeast Asia.
In 2014, 65 percent of company sales came from PCs, with 17 percent from tablets and phones. Another 16 percent came from PC components such as monitors.
In 2017, Asus forecasts its mobile expects its tablet and smartphone revenues to exceed its PC sales.
