Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[Mindy]

BenQ leads Taiwan vendors in 1Q global handset shipments

http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Article.asp?datePublish=2004/04/27&pages=A6&seq=36

Max Wang, Taipei; Jessie Shen, DigiTimes.com [Tuesday 27 April 2004]

An increase in orders from Motorola for the C200 handset has helped BenQ meet its 1Q forecast of handset shipments, according to sources at Taiwan handset makers. BenQ shipped 1.5 million handsets in March, pushing its first quarter’s shipments to 4-4.1 million units worldwide, the sources said.

Strong demand for the C200 handset worldwide will help the company ship more than four million units this quarter, the sources estimated. The company would not comment on the matter directly, but hinted that there was a chance of rising shipments on quarter.

In addition to the C200, the company also manufactures Motorola’s V291 handset, for which shipments are currently remaining flat at about 200,000 units monthly, the sources said.

BenQ’s own-brand handset sales have also reached 70,000 units monthly in Taiwan, according to an April 23 article. Shipments of own-brand handsets are likely to gradually raise BenQ’s full-year revenues, the sources added.

Currently the company is marketing handsets under a dual BenQ-CECT (Chinese Electronics Corporation Telecom) brand in China, with monthly shipment of 50,000 units, according to the sources. BenQ aims to reach shipments of 150,000 units per month of the BenQ-CECT branded handsets in China by year-end. BenQ’s joint venture with CECT, a large China-based GSM/CDMA handset manufacturer, was set up in early March.

Despite the quartz crystal component shortage that has effected handset shipments since the fourth quarter of last year, BenQ is confident that the tight supply will be solved this quarter and shipments will be able to meet original time tables, the company indicated.