HTC has always been known for making some of the best smartphones and devices to be ever released. Before HTC started making its own branded smartphones and tablets, it made some of the most iconic devices to ever grace the tech world.

HTC was chosen to build the first Microsoft-powered smartphone in 2002. It created Compaq's iPAQ PDA which is credited as the device that finally brought competition in terms of design to then-market leader Palm. Palm had released the insanely successful Palm V and Palm Vx PDAs. Microsoft's Pocket PC never could compete with Palm mainly because all of the Pocket PC devices on the market were designed by PC manufacturers and had no style to them. The iPAQ was thin and sleek and it soon became the most successful Microsoft-based PDA in history. HTC also built another smartphone that will go down in history, the Palm's very own Treo 650. HTC knew then and still knows now how to build great devices.

HTC had a talent when it came to design and rather than build smartphones for other companies it decided to get into the business it had helped companies make millions by selling devices HTC designed and built.

So in 2010 HTC entered the smartphone market with the HTC EVO 4g and eventually went on to create some of the world's most popular smartphones due to the hardware design HTC was known for and it also began to tweak the user interface of the mobile OS that ran on its smartphones and tablets.

HTC would put its own skin on top of Windows Mobile and Android to make them simpler and more intuitive to use. It paid off - HTC's market share of smartphones rose very quickly and HTC was known to have an Apple-esque approach to design. HTC cranked out new models almost as fast as Samsung does these days. Unfortunately Apple and Samsung began to chip away at HTC's market share and it began to send HTC on a downward spiral.

In 2011, HTC announced that it would focus less on quantity and more on quality. HTC launched the One series in April of 2012 which was comprised of three different models based on price. The HTC One X was the high-end smartphone, the One S was its mid-range model, and the One V was the lower-end offering. All three of these smartphones were excellent, quality devices. I attended the launch and I was left very impressed. I personally believe HTC is very close to Apple in terms of quality. Unfortunately that hasn't translated into sales which any company needs to survive.

According to Digitimes, HTC is cutting back on new models and shipments of existing smartphones. HTC has seen continual losses in the last 4 quarters and that trend is expected to continue. It's unfortunate to see a company that makes some of the best devices continue to struggle. Here's hoping that somehow HTC can make a comeback because they deserve it!